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A fatal car crash on the road to Salinas elevates a young American movie star to world myth status. And the curse of the Porsche 550 Spyder continues to fuel rumors … Extract from the magazine “8:30 pm Saturday” broadcast on January 9, 2022, just after the newspaper of France 2.
That day, American actor James Dean was driving down a road in California in his brand new gray Porsche 550 Spyder, which he nicknamed “Little Bastard”. The 24-year-old star, who just finished filming the film Giant, goes to a car race in Salinas, North Hollywood, in which he wants to participate. This September 30, 1955, he will never arrive at his destination …
“A car [une Ford Sedan] driven by a young student will unfortunately give him priority “, explains the automotive specialist Laurent Schmidt to the magazine “8:30 p.m. on Saturday” (replay). Philippe Besson, author of the fictionalized biography Live fast (ed. 10/18), specifies: “The two vehicles collide and the Spyder will crash a little further into a telegraph pole. He is killed almost instantly…”
“The idea that an angel cannot die”
“We know he drove fast, but not at full speed, specifies the writer. Probably around 100 kilometers per hour. In a way, it’s quite a silly accident. And all of a sudden, it makes the legend. The guy switches in a few hours from ‘I’m a star’ to ‘I’m a myth.’ “ The wreckage of this car is worth gold, but it’s the start of bizarre events: “Every part of the car will create other accidents…” says Laurent Schmidt.
“People who buy the engine are going to have an accident. Other people buy the tires which are going to burst, causing an accident, he adds. People are almost starting to believe it. “ A story of curse sets in, analyzed by Philippe Besson: “I guess we needed to fuel the legend. It’s the idea that an angel cannot die, so there has to be some dark force at work. The Porsche Spyder has to be necessarily carries a curse because there was only that which could strike down this angel. “
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