The name ‘Ford v Ferrari’ suddenly pops up in our minds whenever we talk about the best movies of the year 2019. With versatile actors like Christian Bale and Matt Damon in the lead roles of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby respectively, the ‘Ford v Ferrari’ movie – a.k.a. ‘Le Mans ’66’ in Europe – is undoubtedly a must-watch for motorsport aficionados. There is something really amazing about the thrill of racing and that is why diehards love to have their hands on the steering wheels of any fastest cars that are launched by any of the iconic motorsports manufacturers. While it may be a costly endeavor to buy any racing car in Dubai, they at CarSwitch have got you covered with the used ones. Buy any used car in KSA through CarSwitch
With certain accolades under its belt, the most inspiring achievement of ‘Ford v Ferrari’ is that it has truly brought worldwide acknowledgment for the truly underrated Miles. The story begins with Shelby (Matt Damon), a former driver who shared the distinguished achievement of winning Aston Martin DBR1 in the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours with Roy Salvadori, has now set up a car customizing company whose most noteworthy achievement so far has been the rather incredible idea of dropping a Ford V8 into an AC Ace to proudly create the immortal AC Cobra. The outcome is a huge success with the model going into production and exceptionally delivers upcoming adrenaline shot to Ford’s sportscar pedigree, culminating in the Peter Brock-designed Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe achieving its class at the Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours.
The movie gets more interesting when despite his up to some extent rough-’n’-ready attitude when dealing with the suits at FoMoCo, Shelby makes a name for himself in the eyes of Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) and is assigned the task of developing the Ford GT40 that can beat Ferrari in Europe’s most iconic race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Besides, the GT40 is a project born of anger as Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) had been looking into the possibility of making his company financially stable by selling out to a corporate giant, and therefore Ford was lured in, then spurned, by Il Drake who balked at the terms and conditions of the deal proposed by Ford.
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Shelby must convince the Blue Oval’s top management that Ken Miles (Christian Bale) is a necessary part of the team to tackle Le Mans. Being a former tank commander in the British Army during World War II and currently in his mid-40s, Miles has frequent moments of grouchiness, and at all times is a self-confident individual who is not in the mood to take any shit from anyone whatsoever. To make things even worse, Miles is overlooked by Ford in its first expedition to France with the GT40. However, the Ford Motor Company complies with Shelby’s wishes, and Miles is finally hired to steer the GT40.
Shelby American successfully clinches the 1965 Daytona 2000km race (forerunner to the Daytona 24 Hours), with Miles partnering Indy car racing’s most ill-fated driver of the ’60s, Lloyd Ruby, in the winning entry. Le Mans is lost yet again owing to the car’s mechanical frailties, however in the inaugural Daytona round-the-clock classic the following February, the brilliant Miles/Ruby combo again clinches the top spot, leading Dan Gurney/Jerry Grant in a Shelby 1-2. NASCAR team Holman-Moody, called upon to enter another GT40 by Ford executive Leo Beebe, finishes at the third spot, regardless of the well-drilled crew performing much quicker pitstops.
Miles and Ruby also triumph in the Sebring 12 Hours the following month driving the topless GT40. With the Miles/Denny Hulme-driven GT40 successfully dominating the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, Beebe’s villainy comes into play as he orders a formation finish between the three Fords that are running 1-2-3 in the final hours of the event. Owing to the fact that the McLaren/Amon car initiated the race a few feet behind the Miles/Hulme machine, race organizers Automobile Club de L’Ouest decided that the all-Kiwi car covered the greater distance over the period of 24 hours and is, therefore, the winning entry. Miles is deprived of a splendidly deserved triumph, one that would have the distinguished distinction of winning Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours, and Le Mans 24 Hours in the same year.
Overall, the movie is a must-watch if you are into racing and the history of motorsport giants.
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