The story of Dean’s tragic death in 1955, speeding while driving his beloved Porsche 500 Spider (which he called “little bastard”) and colliding into another vehicle had long lasting ramifications. It made future young adults and teenagers who also had a rebellious streak in them think twice before speeding and adhere to proper traffic laws as well. It shocked the nation, bringing into collective mourning, but what if it was all an elaborate lie? Some people believe that the accident that Dean had was in fact not fatal, but debilitating. So Hollywood bigwigs, seeing that Dean would be in no condition being battered this badly to make successful films, convinced him to be whisked away from public life and pretend to be dead. Whether that is true or not, the collective shock that so many of young Americans had over the news ensures that James Dean’s legacy lives on.