Ford v Ferrari - movie

[66andBlue]

All you Shelby fans get your popcorn bucket ready for this one. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA
Here is a question for our UK members. How good is Bale's (as Ken Miles) Brummy dialect?

[MikeSimon]

If you plan to watch the movie, make sure you pick a theater with a good sound system. The difference between the 12 cyl and V8 is breathtaking.

[georgem]

Agree that it was a good movie- my wife came with me, somewhat begrudgingly but it was my turn to choose. She is a bit of a petrol head anyway so she enjoyed it.

But, this is where it gets a bit weird. Next day I went to the marina to do some pottering on our boat - parked in my usual spot at the head of the walkway was a yellow Ford GT40 (repro) - never seen it before - talk about weird coincidences.

A couple of years ago we went to Goodwood and one of the cars they featured was the GT40 - they had about 24 all racing - sounded fantastic and the drivers weren`t being gentle. After the last race they lined them up for a parade lap - they marshalled then immediately opposite the stand where we were sitting, on the other side of the track. The sound of 24 GT40s idling waiting to move off was awesome - you  could feel the rumble.

Awesome car but not as classy as a 113

[specracer]

Im a big Ford guy, with many Ford cars, and have even been to LeMans in support twice in the last 4 years. I will also say Im not a movie guy, have not been to a theater in 25 years. We were in Charleston SC for what was intended to be a nice weather get away weekend. Well it was miserable 45 and raining the entire time we were there. So went to see it Friday afternoon. I had very low expectations and had been warned about the inaccuracies. The movie really exceeded  my expectations. While I would have preferred a hard core documentary, I get that non gear heads have to go also, and enjoy it. Box office receipts it beat Midway for the top opening of the weekend (or however its measured). I thought Bales performance was fantastic. Im from Mass, so Damon has been type cast in my mind from The Departed, so portraying an over the top Texan, was a stretch (even though his performance was good also). 

[Cees Klumper]

I guess I'll have to go see it. I am a big fan of Le Mans and American Graffitti and also enjoyed Grand Prix. From a clip I just saw of this Ford vs Ferrari though, it looks too 'plastic' and artificial for me (the voice-over director even said, "well we could not afford crowds of 20,000 so our special effects just extend them to the horizon") but then I am nearing 60 so what do I know. On the massive billboards here in LA  Bale and Damon also look over-the-top plastic but again what do I know.

[Jordan]

Some great background write ups in the Hagerty magazine about the actual race. 

Interesting that the team manager, Beebe, had the GT40's slow their lap times during the race because they were so far ahead and he didn't want to lose the race because of mechanical failures as time wore on.

[Pawel66]

Thank you for sharing!
Feels like a must see item!

[specracer]

Do remember, today's LeMans (and other endurance races) have become 24 hour sprint races. Race times come very close to qualifying lap times. Back then there was discipline, an art form, of preserving the car. Someones driving style can by its self can make a big difference (Gurney, vs Foyt for instance), but capping max RPM, moving your brake point back one marker, etc would indeed preserve the car.
 

Interesting that the team manager, Beebe, had the GT40's slow their lap times during the race because they were so far ahead and he didn't want to lose the race because of mechanical failures as time wore on.

[66andBlue]

Some great background write ups in the Hagerty magazine about the actual race. 
Interesting that the team manager, Beebe, had the GT40's slow their lap times during the race because they were so far ahead and he didn't want to lose the race because of mechanical failures as time wore on.

... While I would have preferred a hard core documentary, I get that non gear heads have to go also, and enjoy it. ...

In addition to not losing the race, a much bigger incentive was the PR effect that prompted Beebe and Ford II to make that decision.
Here is a bit more "hard core" information about that, in my opinion, shameful ending that cost Ken Miles the triple crown of winning Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans in the same year.
It is interesting to read how different authors and commentators have spun the event to suit their believes or make more PR for themselves.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/06/17/le-mans-1966-the-golden-mystery.html

The Peterson Auto Museum also has put out a very nice video with actual interviews and comments of surviving drivers and pit crew members that is worthwhile watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhiWRTDZ7-E&feature=youtu.be

[Pawel66]

I also found something on Netflix: "24h War" documentary movie.

[FresnoBob]

By coincidence I visited the Shelby Museum in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and they had the actual car Ken Miles was driving in the 1966 LeMans.  The car is normally in the Ford Museum near Detroit, but they shipped it to Las Vegas for the official launch of the new Shelby GT 500. 

[wwheeler]

I just saw it and it was well worth the money and effort. Unless you have an amazing home theater set up, go see it in the theater.

[JN]

Ausome movie!
My wife also liked it

[Benz280]

Absolutely a fantastic movie, as said the soundtrack made me drop my popcorn.
When not driving my 280SL, the other family member calls my name, occasionally gets quite jealous. 

[ja17]

Here's an interesting photo of some first responders saving one of the relics during the CA. fires …….

[Cees Klumper]

I ended up watching it on a plane ride back in March. Couldn't see it to the end because of how much I disliked it. I kept skipping ahead to see if it got any better but alass. Glad others thoroughly enjoy it though.

[MikeSimon]

LOL... Movies are seldom like the real story. They have to be dramatic to be attractive to the people who do not know the facts. I am deeply involved in the history of a famous American "outlaw" - Billy the Kid. I must have read every book about him and seen almost all the movies. Not a single big screen story comes close to reality.

[66andBlue]

Hi Mike,
Billy the Kid, really? I thought your heroes were Winnetou and Old Shatterhand!  🤣

[Jordan]

I thought your heroes were Winnetou and Old Shatterhand!  🤣

I didn't know they made sauerkraut westerns. 

[MikeSimon]

  Funny! I did indeed read that when I was a kid. Interesting thing about it is, that the author, Karl May, had never been to the "Wild West" and yet, he wrote in detail about it.
Same with his Mid-East/Arabian adventures of "Kara Ben Nemsi" 

[navymike]

Far and away a better movie.  Adam Carolla also did a nice movie about Paul Newman’s racing career called “Winning”.

[MikeSimon]

While the movie has a nice story line and is entertaining, it has several historically incorrect facts. The race that Ken Miles "won" in 1966 was not his first participation in the GT40 at Lemans. A year before, in 1965, he raced and DNF because of a gearbox problem. He was not denied participation in the race when Carroll Shelby was in charge and Ford tried already in 1964, a year before they enlisted Shelby

[MikeSimon]

Far and away a better movie.  Adam Carolla also did a nice movie about Paul Newman’s racing career called “Winning”.

Had a few encounters with Paul Newman during a couple of 24hrs of Daytona events. Remember him the year when he turned 70 competing in the No70 car in 1995. He was heavily promoting his movie "Nobody's Fool"
In 2005, he spent some time in our hospitality box above the pits.

[mdsalemi]

One of the things I found curious about the movie (I did find it entertaining, but had I known as much of the specific historical details I might have not found it as interesting) is that there was essentially no support or contribution from Ford Motor Company...unless I missed that. I don't mean financial, but historical.

Normally a movie like this would have had a credit to that, and big time.

[MikeSimon]

One could argue that the movie did not paint a flattering picture of Ford. There was this constant theme of people with a passion fighting Corporate Suits obsessed with politics...
And if you read Lee Iacocca's book, you don't come away with a positive opinion about Henry Ford II. Many Ford "insiders" and friends and associates of his, said that Leo Beebe was not portrayed correctly.