Transaxle from James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder sells for $387,000

Why is there a VW emblem on the transmission shown in several photos?

Jeff Peek
01 June 2021
Bring a Trailer/SwiftmotoringYes, it’s a bit macabre. It’s also an incredible piece of automotive and pop culture history. So in a strange way it isn’t surprising that the four-speed transaxle from James Dean’s 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder—the car he was driving when he was killed on September 30, 1955—sold for a stunning $387,000 on Bring a Trailer last weekend (including fees).

The wrecked car was stripped for parts after Dean’s tragic accident. Some components went to other racers, while the mangled shell was bought by George Barris, and sent on a morbid road safety tour before apparently disappearing for good in 1960.

Possibly sold by Barris for a quick buck to a museum in St Augustine. The road tour was ending.
No more money to be made once the contract was over. It was easier and cheaper to ditch the car, make a few bucks and drive back to California without it. "Don't know what happened to the car. When the truck arrived back in California, we looked out the window and the car just wasn't there."

Barris's own words behind sunglasses so you can't tell that he's lieing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=o7URktEogSg
Courtesy Bring a Trailer/SwiftmotoringPorsche broker Don Ahearn acquired the transaxle in March 2020 from Jack Styles, who stored it in a crate for 30 years. It is now fitted to a steel display stand with axles, axle tubes, drum brake assemblies, and a starter. The sale includes a copy of a letter from Porsche verifying its origin, along with a documentation file. The transaxle features a split magnesium case designed to house four forward gears and reverse as well as a differential. The display also features a hydraulic clutch release lever, swing-axle tubes, aluminum drum brake assemblies, and a starter motor.
Bring a Trailer/Swiftmotoring