A REBEL AND A LEGEND, CAPTURED IN MINIATURE: THE R580,000 JAMES DEAN ‘LITTLE BASTARD’ AMALGAM MASTERPIECE!
Model cars have long outgrown their toy shelf roots. For some collectors, scale replicas are now more art piece than plaything - and the rarer, more detailed and historically significant they are, the higher the price tag climbs. That brings us to the latest from the masters at Amalgam Collection - a 1:8 scale recreation of one of the most notorious cars in history: James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder, lovingly known (or feared) as Little Bastard. The price? A cool $30,800, or just over R580,000 depending on what kind of mood the forex gods are in. This new Special Man & Machine Edition goes beyond what’s typical in the world of elite die-cast collecting. Limited to just 30 units worldwide, this highly detailed model comes complete with a magnificently crafted James Dean figurine, frozen mid-stride in full motorsport getup. Standing around 21 cm tall, the figure was digitally sculpted and 3D-printed by artisans in Venice before being hand-painted to perfection. It’s James Dean brought to life, with every defiant wrinkle and casual cool smirk etched in exquisite detail. The car itself? Built by a small team of expert craftsmen, this miniature marvel is based on chassis 550-0055, the very car Dean bought on the 21st of September 1955 - just nine days before his untimely death. With over 4000 hours of development and 400 hours of hand assembly, this isn’t just a scaled-down Porsche. It’s a hauntingly accurate tribute. The team used digital scans of another surviving 550 chassis (550-0061), original paint codes, and archive imagery supplied by Porsche’s own historians to recreate every curve, rivet, and imperfection - including the slightly botched silver respray and missing turn signal lens from Dean’s own street shunts. There are opening doors, engine cover and trunk, thousands of photo-etched, CNC-machined and cast parts, and it’s all built using the finest materials money can buy. This is one of those models that makes the average petrolhead stare quietly for a long time before whispering, “Damn…” But this isn’t just a tale of scale craftsmanship - it's also a brush with the macabre.
The Curse of Little Bastard
James Dean’s tragic end at just 24 years old only added to his mythos. After his fatal crash on Route 466 (now State Route 46) in California, where his Little Bastard collided with a Ford Tudor, a dark legend began to swirl around what was left of the car. And let’s just say, it’s not your usual car show chatter. The wrecked 550 was sold to Dr. William Eschrich, who yanked the engine for his Lotus IX. Another racer, Dr. Troy McHenry, got the gearbox and suspension components, only to be killed in a crash at the Pomona Fairgrounds soon after. Eschrich himself crashed the Lotus using the 550’s engine and was seriously injured. Then came George Barris, the self-titled “King of Kustoms”, who bought the remains of the car. When rebuilding it proved impossible, he began touring the wreck, telling dramatic tales of doom and misfortune to sell safety awareness. It worked - and maybe a little too well. The car’s trailer supposedly broke free and crushed a mechanic’s legs. A warehouse fire mysteriously spared everything but the Spyder. One thief reportedly tried to steal the steering wheel and tore open his arm. Another died in a crash using tires from the wreck. Whether these were convenient PR stunts or true tales of a cursed machine, the mystery only deepened when Little Bastard’s remains vanished in 1960 while being shipped from Florida to California. Gone. Just like that. In 2005, a $1 million reward was offered for its return. It still hasn’t resurfaced. This Amalgam model - beautifully captured in that final race-prep form - is essentially a ghost in metal. A tribute to a man who lived fast, drove hard, and left a legend in his wake. So if you’re the kind of collector who likes a side of intrigue with their carbon-fibre and billet aluminium, this one’s for you. Just… maybe don’t put it in your bedroom, yeah?
Take a look at the YouTube video that really has nothing to do with the highly-detailed Amalgam model above, but it's a pretty cool take on the Porsche that was there when James Dean lost his life, and the scary things that followed with the car and it's parts afterwards: The HAUNTING Story Of James Dean's Cursed Car "Little Bastard" | Mystery Archives
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