Evidently, the trans-axel from Dean's nefarious 550 Spyder, seen above mounted in a rack, was removed from the car at some point and is now up for auction.
Bring A Trailer has a lot of photos of the CA registration, builders certificates and part numbers, all verifying that this is indeed the 4 speed that was on board when James Dean passed away.
This four-speed manual transaxle is said to have been part of James Dean's 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, from which it was separated at an unknown point following his deadly accident in September 1955. The transaxle was reportedly stored for several decades prior to acquisition from Massachusetts by its current owner in 2020. It is now fitted to a steel display stand with axles, axle tubes, drum brake assemblies, and a starter. This 550 Spyder transaxle is offered by the seller on behalf of its current owner in New York with a copy of a letter from Porsche verifying its origin and a documentation file.
Warner Brothers had barred James Dean from motorsport activities while filming the movie Giant during the summer of 1955. With production of the film nearing completion, Dean made plans to replace his Speedster with a new 550 Spyder in order to further his efforts in SCCA racing. On September 21, 1955, he purchased chassis 550-0055 from Competition Motors in Hollywood, California and soon had the number 130 applied to its body as well as the nickname "Little Bastard." Dean was killed in a traffic accident on the afternoon of September 30 while piloting his new car to a race in Salinas, California.
The wrecked car was reportedly sold by Dean's insurance company to another Southern California racer, and the transaxle was later separated from the vehicle before being placed in storage for several decades. The piece was acquired by its current owner in March 2020, and is now installed on a steel display stand that rolls on casters.
