James Dean 9/30

[Maltese Falcon]

For all of you James Dean anniversary fans , the 50th happens on 9/30. The town of Cholame , Ca is one place to worship--it has the monument to Dean's passing. Not to mention the spot where he drove off from in the Little Bastard on 9/30/55: "Competition Motors" (John Von Neumann's) 11515 Ventura Bl. Studio City Ca.
Warning: this location is NO longer Comp Motors, and if you place flowers there, the storekeepers may think you are a bit odd !
photo credit John Edgar
Marty

[Noah930]

So, out of curiosity, what store IS located at 11515 Ventura Blvd?

[KNS]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Comp. Motors was in Hollywood right off Hollywood Blvd(?).

[Maltese Falcon]

Kurt, did you mean the late Hollywood Sports Cars @ 5766 Hollywood Bl. - right off the freeway ? They sold Ferrari, Jensen, British Leyland, Healy, Lotus, MG, maybe Porsche as used trade ins.
I'll do a driveby on Ventura later and let you know what's there at present.
Marty

[KNS]

I remember Hollywood Sports Cars just off (east of) the freeway.... no, I recall reading somewhere that Von Neumann's shop was in Hollywood. I am work right now but I think I have the old address at home. I'll look it up.

[Maltese Falcon]

Just went out for a Starbucks and did a driveby. 11515 Ventura Bl. today is the lot next to (west of) Saller's International Body shop (11511)...there is no longer a dedicated 11515 addy .
I'll do some more reading on Von Neumann's other addy's in L.A.
Marty

[Bob's Flat-Six]

Isn't there a bust of Dean at the Griffith Park Observatory ?

[Maltese Falcon]

John von Neumann was instrumental as one of the founding fathers of what we now today as the SCCA. He also worked as an exotic car salesman for Roger Barlow's "International Motors" @ 8536 Sunset Bl. (L.A.) circa 1948. Aside from the Competition Motors, he also operated "Ferrari Representatives of California @ 1767 N. Cahuenga Bl. (L.A.) circa 1957. There was also a Porsche service facility he owned on Highland Ave. (L.A.), for the 550 crowd.
Marty

[Joe Bob]

The highway where he was killed..east of Paso Robles on the 101 on 41 has been rerouted. There is a cruddy little diner selling memorobilia and a marker....I think it's called Cholame or sumthin.....near the huge metropolitan area of Shandon


http://www.phantombookshop.com/jamesdeanmemorialjunction/images/Highway46-4.jpg

Old road and new road....

[Maltese Falcon]

This is a pic of von Neumann's Highland Ave. Porsche race car service facility (L.A.). circa 1957
Mechanic Rolf Wuetheric ( far left), survivor/ Dean's passenger on that fateful day.
Bob I'll drive by the Griffith in a few days...it's under renovation-so I'll see how close I can get

Marty

[Bob's Flat-Six]

I'm pretty sure there is, My wife confirmed anyway.
He filmed some of Rebel WOAC there, So it's a tribute.

I have a Ken Miles action photo in a 550 Spyder # 50, but it doesn't look like the car in the garage you posted.

[Bob's Flat-Six]

Found it. It looks like a different car though.

[PorscheGuy79]

I dont think you guys would hear this but a Vintage Auto Muesem right near me has offered 1 million dollars for the remains of his car. Interesting, I thought.

[KNS]

The Highland address for Competition Motors sounds familiar. I found an address from 1957 for Competition Motors as: 1219 Vine St, Hollywood. I did see a recent photo of the building; it is still there (two story I think) but not being used in an automotive capacity. I think the Champion spark plug poster of Dean changing his plugs was taken in the Competition garage.

[Maltese Falcon]

The 1219 N. Vine will be checked out by me on Tue.
proll'y a Thai restaurant or techno trance nightclub
Hey , let's get Heraldo Rivera to find this car for us- and do a 3 way split on the mill !!
Hollywood seems to have an old Porsche mystique about it .
Marty

[Zeke]

Looking at the MG TD in the first pic with Dean. With 50 some-odd HP and super skinny tires that was an odd car to be racing. The 550 must have run circles around some of the other cars. Austin Healeys were somewhat faster and later on got 6 cylinders. Those poor little MGs must have looked like stationary objects on the track.

[KNS]

Found a little more info from an October 1985 Car & Driver detailing Dean's last drive. As per the article, Competition Motors was on North Vine, Von Neumann also had a Ferrari shop on Highland Ave and another "small race shop" on Ventura Blvd. Street addresses were not mentioned for the other two.

[mwbaum]

[KNS]

These days someone would find that a "restoration candidate".

[Bob's Flat-Six]

At least theres no rust