James Dean's last car. The 'Giant Killer' that beat V8 and V12 machines with just 1.5 liters and 550 kg. 90 built. Dean named his 'Little Bastard' and died in it on September 30, 1955, at the intersection of Routes 466 and 41 near Cholame, California.
History
Ernst Fuhrmann designed the Type 547 four-cam engine specifically for the 550. Despite displacing just 1.5 liters, the air-cooled flat-four produced 110 hp through four overhead camshafts driven by a complex shaft-and-bevel-gear system. The engine was a jewel of engineering that revved to 7,800 rpm.
The tubular space frame chassis weighed just 550 kg with the aluminum body. This gave the 550 a power-to-weight ratio that embarrassed Ferraris and Maseratis with three times the displacement.
At the 1954 Carrera Panamericana, Hans Herrmann finished third overall in a 550, beating every car except two larger Ferrari prototypes. The result inspired Porsche to name their high-performance road cars 'Carrera.'
James Dean purchased a new 550 Spyder in September 1955, naming it 'Little Bastard.' On September 30, while driving to a race at Salinas, he was killed in a collision at an intersection near Cholame. He was 24 years old.
90 550 Spyders were built. Today they command $4 million to $6 million at auction. The car's legacy is inseparable from Dean's death, which gave it a cultural weight that transcends motorsport.
Production & Heritage
Value estimates are editorial assessments based on recent auction results and market trends.
Technical Specifications
Engine Details
Performance
Tags
Designed by Ernst Fuhrmann
