Which Porsche model was driven by James Dean?

The Porsche model driven by James Dean was the Porsche 550 Spyder.

Dean bought a new 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder from Competition Motors in California on September 21, 1955. The lightweight, mid-engined sports racer was one of roughly 90 early Porsche 550s built, and Dean’s car carried chassis number 550-0055 and race number 130. He nicknamed it “Little Bastard,” a name associated with the car in later accounts.

Dean intended to race the Spyder at the Salinas Road Race in October 1955. On September 30, while driving near Cholame, California, he was involved in a collision at the junction of California Routes 46 and 41 and died. His mechanic, Rolf Wütherich, was riding with him and survived.

A common mix-up is Dean’s earlier Porsche: he had owned a Porsche 356 Super Speedster before trading it for the 550 Spyder. The 356 was part of his history, but the model most famously linked to him is the 550 Spyder.