You might think anyone who puts Ferrari and Ford in the same sentence has a screw loose, but that's where they'd be wrong. Not only does the modern Ford GT exhibit some of the most cutting-edge design and performance, but it was also birthed from a legend that actually beat Ferrari at its own game decades ago. Now, there's a new movie that captures the drama on and off the track.
FORD v FERRARI is a movie based on the legendary GT40 race car that beat Ferrari in the famed 1966 race. Matt Damon occupies the role of Caroll Shelby, who saved the race car by taking over the GT40 MkII build, and Christian Bale plays Ken Miles, the British driver who would help bring the GT40 MkII to victory at Le Mans.
Ford actually came close to closing a deal to buy Ferrari because Enzo Ferrari needed money to fund his racing efforts. Enzo changed his mind, and Henry Ford II decided to go after them by beating them at their own game, the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. It's where it would hurt the Prancing Horse brand's reputation the most.
The trailer shows a lot of racing footage using real GT40s and, of course, the help of GGI technology since the cars are pretty rare (none were wrecked, thank goodness). It's not just about the cars, though. There's plenty of human drama involved in the struggle to win, and the talented actors lend credence to this exciting recreation of automotive history.
For those who don't know, the Ford GT40 MkII didn't just beat Ferrari, they took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place to utterly crush Ferrari and stick it to Enzo in the process. The movie is directed by Logan and Walk the Line filmmaker James Mangold, so we know it'll be a superlative film. The film opens nationwide November 15th.
