Sadly, the narrative is not quite so straightforward. Henry Ford II tried to buy Ferrari in 1963, according to The New York Times. However, according to Forbes, the real action begins in 1962. Ford was attempting to recover from a decline in sales at the time. Ford Division general manager Lee Iacocca persuaded CEO Henry Ford II, the eldest son of Edsel Ford and the eldest grandson of Henry Ford, that the company should purchase a sports car in an effort to reverse the trend.
Ford was on the verge of acquiring Ferrari and all of its assets in 1963, making Ford’s ambitions of owning a sports car a reality. Forbes claims that Enzo Ferrari also anticipated the deal’s completion. Sadly, his excitement was short-lived when he learned that the deal had a provision that would give Ford control over the Ferrari racing team. Enzo rejected the agreement because he was unwilling to give up control of the Ferrari racing team.
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Ford v. Ferrari: Truth vs. Fiction
The Ford v. Ferrari screenwriters John-Henry Butterworth, Jez Butterworth, and Jason Keller used some artistic license with the true narrative because not all rivalries are attractive enough for Hollywood. Here are five deviations from reality that the film made:
Turn 1: Henry Ford II addressed the assembly line at the Dearborn, Michigan, Rouge River facility.
Between the assembly line and his jurisdiction, Ford had 20 lieutenants. Instead of the CEO, any one of them would have delivered the speech.
The CEO of Ford Motor Company would never enter a race car without sufficient safety measures.
Turn three: Lee Iaccoca had a crucial role in the discussions with Enzo Ferrari.
Henry II did direct a Ford contingent to travel to Maranello, Italy, in order to purchase a Ferrari, but Iacocca was not a part of the team.
Both Shelby and Miles were brash, very intense, and smart men. They had disagreements frequently, there is no doubt about it, and the movie makes no secret of that. However, there is no proof that they actually got into a fight physically.
If officials had seen that on the track, the car would have been disqualified.
Ferrari
FACT: There was once an Italian firm called Ferrari that produced outstanding and quick sports cars in a custom way that stood in stark contrast to Ford’s assembly-line methodology. And in April 1963, Ford actually made an attempt to acquire the bankrupt Ferrari through a series of confidential talks, including a visit for Ford representatives to one of the artisanal workshops where machinists painstakingly repaired Ferrari’s 400 Superamericas. Iacocca was involved in this scam, but his involvement was less significant than it appears in Ford v. Ferrari. His assistant, a metallurgical engineer by the name of Don Frey, handled much of the travel and bartering. For a while, the eccentric automobile manufacturer actually respected Don Frey for his technical expertise. Frey was referred to as “Dottore Ingegnere” (Dr. Engineer) by Enzo Ferrari, who also wistfully doodled logos that combined the Ford and Ferrari identities.
In the movie, the Ford-Ferrari merger fails because to a confidential tip sent to Giovanni Agnelli, the owner of Fiat, by an entrepreneurial Italian photojournalist who appears to be working for Ferrari. Agnelli’s competitive nature and sense of national pride force him to make a counteroffer. The truth is that Enzo Ferrari was too much of a nationalist to sell his company to Americans; instead, Fiat had been giving Ferrari a monthly stipend for years as a thank-you for improving the reputation of Italian-made cars abroad. Additionally, the sale to Fiat was not finalized until 1968, many years after Le Mans ’66.
Franco Gozzi, Enzo Ferrari’s lawyer and chief advisor, recalled something similar to what Ferrari said in the movie when he called the company’s executives “worthless sons of whores” who run a “big ugly factory” that makes “big ugly cars” for a “pig-headed boss” who is “not Henry Ford” but Henry Ford II. It was “a tirade that I had never seen or heard before in my entire life and have not done so since,” Gozzi writes in Baime’s book.
STORY EXPLAINS ENZO FERRARI’S REASONS FOR REJECTING FORD
Rome, Italy – Enzo Ferrari came close to a deal with Ford years before he eventually agreed to sell half of his business to Fiat in 1968.
After 22 days of vigorous negotiations, the Ford-Ferrari talks ended on May 20, 1963, according to recent information.
In an Italian automobile magazine, Enzo Ferrari’s personal secretary Franco Gozzi wrote about a provision in the proposed contract that effectively put an end to the agreement.
Ferrari was required to submit any racing team budget exceeding 450 million lire to Ford “for rapid approval.” At the time, that was equivalent to $257,000, which served as Ferrari’s race budget for the 1963 calendar year.
When Enzo Ferrari read the clause during a negotiation, he lost his cool and underlined the terms “submit” and “to get” twice with his violet ink pen.
The condition, according to Ferrari, “significantly damaged the absolute flexibility I had been guaranteed as racing team director,” according to Gozzi. He then hurled insults at everyone in the room, using phrases that, in Gozzi’s words, “you would not find in any dictionary.”
10:00 p.m. Let’s get something to eat, Ferrari remarked softly as he turned to face Gozzi. The 14-member Ford delegation was left mute as they walked away. The discussions were over forever.
Fiat’s agreement with Ferrari gave Enzo Ferrari complete control over the racing team and no financial restrictions. After his passing in August 1988, Fiat acquired the bulk of Ferrari.
Why did Ford attempt to purchase Ferrari?
There is no anger like the fury of a car tycoon in hell. Henry Ford II attempted to acquire Ferrari in 1963 in the hopes that the Italian sports car manufacturer would infuse some coolness into his family-owned business, which at the time was best known for selling boxy sedans and pickup trucks.
What caused the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari?
The historic Ford Vs Ferrari brand conflict is still causing a stir. It all began in 1963 when Henry Ford II had the idea to use General Motors to fend off the competition. Henry Ford II, better known as Hank the Deuce, came up with a plan to buy out Ferrari in order to do this.
Enzo Ferrari’s denial of Ford: Why?
Ford created its first sports car in the early 1960s as a result of a shift in American consumer behavior. Unlike their parents and grandparents, who preferred comfort and dependability, boomers of the time preferred sportier, better-performing vehicles. Ford intended to cater to this growing consumer base, but its lineup lacked anything resembling a sports car to aid in the development. Henry Ford II and his staff made the decision to buy one as a result.
Ford made an easy choice in choosing Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer dominated the races back then and only sold street cars to finance its racing endeavors. It appeared that the two companies could come to an understanding and work together to accomplish their main objectives.
Enzo Ferrari first accepted the proposal. After protracted and laborious talks, it appeared that the contract needed just a few more signatures to be finalized. Ferrari, though, abruptly withdrew. Enzo Ferrari allegedly turned down the offer because he wasn’t prepared to give up management of the motorsports program to anyone else.
He must have been really angry about the clause in the contract. Henry II was criticized by Enzo Ferrari for building unattractive factories and producing ugly cars. According to rumors, Enzo Ferrari even insulted Henry II by claiming that he lacked the knowledge of his grandpa.
That’s not all, though. By selling most of Ferrari’s stock to Fiat, Enzo Ferrari put another nail in the coffin of his partnership with Ford. Ford viewed this as a ruse Ferrari pulled on Fiat to drive up the price. Henry II was the one who was furious.
Has Ford ever defeated Ferrari?
Leo Beebe is portrayed by Josh Lucas in the movie. Ford eventually defeated Ferrari at Le Mans in what year? When the Ford GT40 Mark IIs won first, second, and third place at Le Mans in 1966, the Ford GT40 put an end to Ferrari’s hegemony.
What vehicles did Ford vs. Ferrari use?
The endurance race was mainly a competition between the Ford GT40 Mark II and Ferrari 330 P3 produced by American and Italian automakers, as suggested by the movie’s title.
Which is better, a Ferrari or a Ford?
Mike Salmon and Eric Liddell’s 4.7-liter Ford GT40 was being pursued by a Matra MS630 and an Alfa Romeo T33B 2 at Le Mans in 1968.
The Ford feels what it is: stronger and heavier, even before you have traveled anywhere. The Ferrari has custom controls, an open gate gearbox, and an amazing view forward over those sculpted front wings. It feels like a delicate jewel. The Ford functions much more like a tool.
However, drawing the incorrect conclusion that the Ferrari was inevitably the more vulnerable of the two would be a mistake. Yes, if I had to crash one, I would much prefer to be in the monocoque Ford, but if I had to bet on one to last 24 hours, I would always support the Ferrari. Contrary to what I believe most people believe about American V8s, the ZF gearbox is not the strongest, and the Ford engine is easily damaged, especially if you downshift a little too early. Ferrari’s faster revving, freer spinning V12, on the other hand, could be pounded into the ground and not fail its driver.
The client Ferrari would have most certainly outperformed the customer GT40 in terms of speed, but it was a pure prototype as opposed to the Ford, which was produced in far greater quantities (dozens as opposed to a small number of 412Ps). However, it’s important to keep in mind that Ford had to wait till a 7.0-litre engine to ultimately pound its way to a performance edge over its competition.
Chris Amon and Nino Vaccarella’s Ferrari 330P4 at Le Mans in 1967, followed closely by Giancarlo Baghetti and Pedro Rodrigues’ Ferrari 412P.
My memories of the Ferrari are of a car with light steering, a super-precise gearbox, the most wonderful sound, and a sense of occasion that is rivaled by very few others in fact. I haven’t driven both on the circuit at the same time. Due to its synchromesh ‘box, the Ford is heavier to handle and shifts more slowly, but it has a sound that is equally as fascinating despite being more like Detroit thunder than Maranello song.
The Ferrari would be my first choice to drive again due of its rarity, exquisite sound, and thoroughbred-like feel. However, very few people in that era would have had that option: Ferrari only provided 412Ps to its preferred teams, including Ecurie Nationale Belge, North American Racing Team, Scuderia Filipinetti in Switzerland, and Maranello Concessionaires in the UK. Ford, on the other hand, would give everybody who wanted one a GT40. They are both wonderful automobiles.
The Ford vs. Ferrari rumor: is it true?
James Mangold directed the true story-based film Ford vs. Ferrari. The movie is about a 24-hour endurance event that occurred at the 1966 Le Mans race. A team of auto engineers engaged by Ford to develop a racing that can outperform a Ferrari sports vehicle at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France is the center of the movie’s plot. Carroll Shelby, a pioneer in the automotive industry, and British race car driver Ken Miles are in charge of the Ford team. Carroll Shelby is portrayed in the movie by Matt Damon, while Ken Miles is portrayed by Christian Bale, who also plays Batman.
Fiat still owns Ferrari, right?
The bulk of Ferrari will be owned by the public by 2020, but if you find yourself wondering, “Doesn’t FIAT own Ferrari?” you’re not the only one (just a few years late)