FORD ARCHIVES BARES BACKSTORY BEHIND FORD vs FERRARI AT LEMANS
DEARBORN, Mich. –Ever since word leaked out early this year, Ford fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of a new feature film dubbed “Ford vs. Ferrari, which is centered around Ford winning the famous 1966 Le Mans race. To add some historical facts to Hollywood’s interpretation in the movie,
Ford Motor Company hosted a special event at the Ford Archives, housed inside the Ford Engineering Laboratory building on its Dearborn campus. There, select members of the media were joined by Ford’s Global Motorsports Director Mark Rushbrook, and even Edsel Ford II.
Ford set up a display of rarely seen artifacts from the Le Mans GT40 racing program, and included on-site was the actual GT40 that was used in the creation of the film, joined by a production 2019 Ford GT and another race-version Ford GT. Once the initial tour lead by Ford Heritage Brand Manager Ted Ryan concluded, attendees were allowed to inspect the displays set up at the Archives to witness the comprehensive collection of LeMans history Ford has saved. Drawing big interest were the 1966 and 2016 Le Mans trophies, original and confidential Ford GT Sports Car Project files, and the actual documents negotiating the deal for Ford to purchase Ferrari.
In 1963 Ford tried to buy Ferrari, a move that Enzo Ferrari first approved, then backed out at the last moment (the actual telegram was on display). After spending considerable company time and resources on due-diligence for the purchase, then-Ford CEO Henry Ford II didn’t take too kindly to the deal falling through, so he formed Ford Advanced Vehicles in 1963, and then later commissioned Shelby American and Holman & Moody to work with the company to build and perfect Ford race cars that would become capable of dethroning Ferrari at the Le Mans 24-Hour race in France.
