[DeTomaso] NPC: Dan Gurney's Impala

Fri Sep 10 17:39:51 EDT 2021

 Interesting bit of history.  I didn't know that Dan Gurney was one of James Dean's mechanics.  Thanks for sharing that.Have a great weekend!

    On Friday, September 10, 2021, 10:43:17 AM PDT, Ken Green <kenn_green at yahoo.com> wrote:  

  I read that Dan Gurney was one of James Dean's mechanics and in a station wagon following Dean when he crashed if this is accurate:
https://members.tripod.com/~Ken_Johnson/September30.html
  "On this day in 1955, James Dean, the brooding film actor who won acclaim in "Giant", "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause", died in a car crash in Cholame, CA, a tiny farm town. Dean, who lived the life of James Stark (his character in "Rebel Without a Cause"), was killed when his Porsche Spider ran into another car, head-on at 75 miles an hour. Dean's mechanic also died in the crash. Today, a scarred, stainless steel memorial marks the scene of the accident. The once-gleaming tribute was designed, paid for and erected by a Japanese fan. James Dean souvenirs are for sale at the Jack Ranch Cafe, a few feet from the crash scene. James Dean and his German mechanic were headed West on State HWY 146 (they were on the way to Salinas, CA for the sports car race held there at the Salinas Airport). Because the car was brand new, Dean decided to drive the car from LA up to Salinas to break it in! They (Dean and his mechanic) were being followed by one of his other mechanics in a 1953 Ford Station Wagon pulling a trailer (that was intended for carrying the Porsche Spyder), the other mechanic that was driving the Station Wagon was none other than Dan Gurney! The name of the driver of the other car (it was also a Ford Station Wagon) involved in the accident, was withheld (his name) by the California Highway Patrol. The CHP was afraid that fans of James Dean may retaliate againist him (the driver of the station wagon) when the accident was clearly Dean's fault. The CHP at the time, determined that Dean's Porsche was traveling in excess of 90 to 100 mph at impact! The German mechanic riding with Dean did NOT die in the crash! He was thrown clear of the car and suffered serious injuries, none life threatening. The monument erected by the Japanese fan, is in actually over 2 miles away from where the accident occured. Dean's Porsche Spyder (the actual one that he was driving when he was killed) traveled around the country for several years following the accident, being put on display, of which you could view the car for a small fee! Much like the Ford that Bonnie and Clyde died in (which now resides in the front lobbie of a small casino off of Interstate 15 at the California/Nevada border just west of Las Vegas. James Dean's Porsche and the railroad boxcar it was contained in, was stolen in the early seventies while being transported to the Ford Museum in Detroit, MI. The Porsche has never been seen since. The boxcar containing Dean's Porsche was found a few weeks later, but it was empty. "

    On Friday, September 10, 2021, 08:28:20 AM PDT, Garth Rodericks via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:  

   Nice bit if history:
  [1]https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
  And a great video about the car now:
  [2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4

References

  1. https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4
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-------------- next part --------------
   Interesting bit of history.  I didn't know that Dan Gurney was one of
   James Dean's mechanics.  Thanks for sharing that.
   Have a great weekend!

   On Friday, September 10, 2021, 10:43:17 AM PDT, Ken Green
   <kenn_green at yahoo.com> wrote:
   I read that Dan Gurney was one of James Dean's mechanics and in a
   station wagon following Dean when he crashed if this is accurate:
   [1]https://members.tripod.com/~Ken_Johnson/September30.html
     "On this day in 1955, James Dean, the brooding film actor who won
   acclaim in "Giant", "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause", died in
   a car crash in Cholame, CA, a tiny farm town. Dean, who lived the life
   of James Stark (his character in "Rebel Without a Cause"), was killed
   when his Porsche Spider ran into another car, head-on at 75 miles an
   hour. Dean's mechanic also died in the crash. Today, a scarred,
   stainless steel memorial marks the scene of the accident. The
   once-gleaming tribute was designed, paid for and erected by a Japanese
   fan. James Dean souvenirs are for sale at the Jack Ranch Cafe, a few
   feet from the crash scene. James Dean and his German mechanic were
   headed West on State HWY 146 (they were on the way to Salinas, CA for
   the sports car race held there at the Salinas Airport). Because the car
   was brand new, Dean decided to drive the car from LA up to Salinas to
   break it in! They (Dean and his mechanic) were being followed by one of
   his other mechanics in a 1953 Ford Station Wagon pulling a trailer
   (that was intended for carrying the Porsche Spyder), the other mechanic
   that was driving the Station Wagon was none other than Dan Gurney! The
   name of the driver of the other car (it was also a Ford Station Wagon)
   involved in the accident, was withheld (his name) by the California
   Highway Patrol. The CHP was afraid that fans of James Dean may
   retaliate againist him (the driver of the station wagon) when the
   accident was clearly Dean's fault. The CHP at the time, determined that
   Dean's Porsche was traveling in excess of 90 to 100 mph at impact! The
   German mechanic riding with Dean did NOT die in the crash! He was
   thrown clear of the car and suffered serious injuries, none life
   threatening. The monument erected by the Japanese fan, is in actually
   over 2 miles away from where the accident occured. Dean's Porsche
   Spyder (the actual one that he was driving when he was killed) traveled
   around the country for several years following the accident, being put
   on display, of which you could view the car for a small fee! Much like
   the Ford that Bonnie and Clyde died in (which now resides in the front
   lobbie of a small casino off of Interstate 15 at the California/Nevada
   border just west of Las Vegas. James Dean's Porsche and the railroad
   boxcar it was contained in, was stolen in the early seventies while
   being transported to the Ford Museum in Detroit, MI. The Porsche has
   never been seen since. The boxcar containing Dean's Porsche was found a
   few weeks later, but it was empty. "
   On Friday, September 10, 2021, 08:28:20 AM PDT, Garth Rodericks via
   DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
     Nice bit if history:
     [1][2]https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
     And a great video about the car now:
     [2][3]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4
   References
     1. [4]https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
     2. [5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4
   _______________________________________________
   Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
   Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
   DeTomaso mailing list
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   To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.)
   use the links above.
   Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward any
   message posted here to all past, current, or future members of the
   list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an archive
   or approve the archiving of list messages.

References

   1. https://members.tripod.com/~Ken_Johnson/September30.html
   2. https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
   3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4
   4. https://www.motortrend.com/features/1961-dan-gurney-impala/
   5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwmeYx1xr4
   6. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   7. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso