Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia
Breaking news

Damon, Bale to star in Ford vs. Ferrari movie

Matt Damon will portray Carroll Shelby in a new movie which is set to focus on the sportscar battles between Ferrari and Ford in the 1960s, while Christian Bale is to portray GT40 test driver Ken Miles.

Ford's first win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1966: the winning Ford GT-40 Mark II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon

Ford's first win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1966: the winning Ford GT-40 Mark II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon

Ford Motor Company


Le Mans 1966 second place Ken Miles, Denis Hulme, Ford GT 40
Ford GT-40 team in the Le Mans pits, 1966: Ken Miles and Denny Hulme (1) finished second; Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon (2) won; Dick Hutcherson and Ronnie Bucknum (5) finished third
Ken Mile, Lloyd Ruby, Ford X1 Roadster
Carroll Shelby
Lorenzo Bandini, Chris Amon,  Ferrari 330P4 Spyder
Ford's first win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1966: the winning Ford GT-40 Mark II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon
#1 Ford GT40 Mk4: A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney

Ferrari won Le Mans every year from 1960 to ’65, but Henry Ford II, furious at being spurned by Enzo Ferrari when he thought he had a deal to buy the Italian sportscar firm, was triggered into commissioning a car to beat the scarlet machines on track.

That car was eventually dubbed the GT40, and went on to win score nine wins in the endurance classics – Daytona in ’65 and ’66, Sebring in ’66, ’67 and ’69, and Le Mans from ’66 through ’69. Ferrari never won Le Mans outright after its legendary ’65 victory with Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory in the 250LM.

As long ago as February, Inquirer.net was reporting that Damon had been tabbed in the role of Shelby, who after co-driving the 1959 Le Mans winning Aston Martin with Roy Salvadori, became one of the iconic names in Ford’s sporting history, thanks to his work at turning the AC Ace and Ford Mustang into Ford-powered muscle cars, and running the American-entered GT40s at Le Mans.

As well as Bale’s role as Miles, Variety is reporting that Jon Bernthal will play the role of Lee Iacocca, who worked for Ford from 1946 to 1978, rising to VP by 1960 and president in 1970.

The film will be written and directed by James Mangold, who has CopLand, Walk the Line and the 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma in his résumé.

Meanwhile Michael Mann, who directed Manhunter, Ali, The Insider and the legendary Heat, is this summer due to start directing and producing a biopic of Enzo Ferrari, with Hugh Jackman in the starring role.

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Porsche: Bourdais had no right to complain about Makowiecki
Next article WEC must "wake up" after Toyota Le Mans rout – Lotterer

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia