Ask any New Zealand motor racing fan with a decent knowledge of the sport’s history about the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour race, and the chances are they will zoom in on a remarkable Kiwi triumph: Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon winning the gruelling French classic in a photo finish, and a third famous Kiwi — Denny Hulme — one of the two drivers in the car that came second.
For most of the racing world internationally, however, Le Mans 1966 is remembered as the year in which American automotive giant Ford triumphed over rival carmaker Ferrari. As one might guess, from its title, it’s the latter aspect of the race that takes centre stage in Ford v Ferrari.
One of those rare cinematographic efforts in which motoring racing is the absolute focus of attention, Ford v Ferrari provides a Hollywood slant in which All-American racing legend Carrol Shelby (Matt Damon) and US-based Englishman Ken Miles (Christian Bale) are the stars of the show.
It’s Shelby, a former Le Mans winner turned low-volume performance carmaker, and Miles, a talented but fiery driver and mechanic, who put in the hard yards to turn the now famous Ford GT40 into a racewinning machine. And while their ultimate ontrack target is Ferrari, their major off-track battles are against the bureaucracy of the Ford Motor Company, which has been spurred into action by the need for a more youthful, sporting image. The rivalry with Ferrari becomes personal when Ford’s Plan A — to buy Ferrari — is knocked back at the 11th hour by Enzo Ferrari in a pointed and denigrating way.
Lukewarm about the racing plans at first, company boss Henry Ford II, now wants to beat Ferrari whatever the cost.
Needless to say there is considerable artistic licence taken in the interests of entertainment, including minimising the role that McLaren, Amon and especially Hulme — Miles’ driving partner — played in Ford’s victory.
That aside, Ford v Ferrari is the best motor racing movie released since the 2013’s Rush, which brilliantly told the story of the F1 rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
If you haven’t managed to see Ford v Ferrari yet, it is still screening locally, though in the final laps of its cinema run.
Changing tack, I’d like to welcome Chris Williams to Drivesouth. Chris, a motoring journalist who I am mentoring through the NZ Guild of Motoring Writers, make his debut with us sampling an Alfa Romeo 4C.
- David Thomson
