A dramatic on-track duel between Ken Miles and his Ferrari opponents punctuates the movie’s climax. In the movie, Miles has to overcome being a lap behind Ferrari driver Lorenzo Bandini all night to overtake him during daylight hours.
The #21 Ferrari was limping about in 12th place at 3am in the actual ’66 race, though.
The race was really led by the #3 Ford GT40 driven by Dan Gurney and Jerry Grant in the morning, defying Ford’s tight team rules and engaging in a dogfight with Miles and Hume. When the #3 had a head gasket blowout in the 18th hour, Miles took over the lead with a two-lap advantage over his closest competitor and teammate.
In This Article...
Real-life friends complain that one of the Ford v Ferrari characters received unfair treatment.
Real-life drama just cannot always compete with fictitious drama. There are good reasons why movies about real-life events are so well-liked. Having said that, real life situations don’t always play out in a way that would make for a fantastic movie. This means that the story we see on the big screen is rarely entirely true; some details or characters are constantly changed, as some claim happened to a significant player in Ford v. Ferrari.
The newly released film, which is currently receiving a ton of awards attention, is about Ford Motor Company’s attempt to create a vehicle that can win the 24 Hours of Le Mans road race. While the underdog story is very real, some have come forward and claimed that Josh Lucas’ portrayal of one character, Leo Beebe, is not accurate.
Although the conflict between the two automakers may be the film’s ultimate purpose, the most of the action takes place between Caroll Shelby and his friend Ken Miles and the automaker that hired them but may not fully trust them to execute the job. Leo Beebe, a Ford Motor Company executive who was a real person but not at all like the character in the movie, according to many who knew him, serves as the main adversary.
Leo Beebe, who plays the antagonist in the movie, never liked Shelby or Miles and deliberately tried to ruin their chances of winning. The person Ed Cloues knew was not like that. Beebe and Cloues both worked on a board together, and Cloues revealed to the Philadelphia Inquirer that Beebe was actually exactly the opposite—someone who encouraged others to do their best.
It most certainly would not have been the first time that a real-life individual had their true character diminished. The truth is that a movie isn’t much of a movie if the major characters aren’t engaged in conflict with each other. Regardless of whether it was truly correct, Leo Beebe was cast in that capacity.
And it’s not that surprising to learn why Leo Beebe was selected for the villainous part. There is evidence that Beebe and Ken Miles did argue, and it was Beebe’s idea to have Miles slow down during the 1966 race at Le Mans so that the Ford cars could finish in a tie, which ultimately led to Miles losing the race, albeit unintentionally. The historical record surrounding the famous race is, to put it mildly, murky.
However, it is also natural that people who knew Leo Beebe would object to how he is shown in the movie. Ford v. Ferrari will be perceived as the “real tale” in many aspects by those who are unaware of the actual occurrence, which will lead to Beebe being viewed negatively even though his friends claim that wasn’t the case. Ron Jaworski, a former NFL player who is now an entrepreneur, described it thus way:
When reality appears on the big screen, it will always be altered by a Hollywood lens. A “true story” movie that alters the past isn’t always negative, but it’s good to be aware of these alterations so that viewers can see how closely the Hollywood version adheres to the original.
What did Henry Ford hear from Enzo Ferrari?
Tell your pigheaded employer that all of his, eh, pompous executives are worthless sons of whores, said Ford Italian Translator Gary. Italo Ferrari Inform him that he is not Henry Ford
Ken Miles, a competent driver?
Given that he finished second at Le Mans in 1966 and won at Sebring and Daytona, Ken Miles is primarily recognized as a brilliant racing car driver (only over a technicality). Miles, however, thought and behaved more like a mechanic, which is why Carroll Shelby hired him to test drive and oversee competitions at Shelby American Inc. He was a skilled driver, but his mechanical mind also enabled him to fine-tune the cars so they would perform at their peak during a race.
Did Ken Miles truly triumph?
Ken Miles, a British native, was a talented race car driver and engineer. Miles became interested with Ford’s GT racing program through his work for Carroll Shelby. In 1966, Miles finished second at Le Mans and claimed victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Later that year, while testing Ford’s J-Car, Miles was killed in a collision.
Shelby made a bet with his company on Ken Miles.
Carroll, no Shelby never risked all of his assets on Henry Ford II so that Ken Miles could participate in the Le Mans race. Although Ken Miles’ risks on the track were opposed by Ford’s right hand Leo Beebe (played by Josh Lucas), the animosity between Shelby and Beebe in the film is greatly exaggerated.
What was said about Ken Miles by Carroll Shelby?
Once, Carroll Shelby said, “Ken was special.
He was the driving force behind our testing strategy. The Daytona Coupe ran because of him. Ken was an expert driver. The other drivers on my team appreciated his assistance as well.”
Shelby and Miles were they close friends?
Peter Miles was the son of Ken Miles and Mollie (b. September 28, 1950). He was Carroll Shelby’s close friend as well. When the prototype J-car crash that killed his father occurred in 1966, Peter was just shy of turning 16. Peter started working for Ken’s buddy Dick Troutman at the Troutman and Barnes custom automobile company in Culver City, California, a few months after Ken passed away. Peter spent four years working at the workshop. Peter began working for Precision Performance Inc. (PPI) in 1986 as a fabricator and later as a technician before rising to the position of crew commander. When Ivan Stewart won the 1991 Nissan 400 in Nevada, Peter was his crew chief. Peter stated in a 2019 interview with Le Mans that he last visited Le Mans in 1965 with his father Ken and hasn’t been back since.
Peter presently serves as the executive administrator of William E. Connor II’s vintage vehicle collection, which is thought to be worth over $80 million. The collection featured a Ferrari 250 GTO, which esteemed Ferrari historian Marcel Massini regarded as the best exemplar of all 36 produced.
Did Ken Miles fling Shelby a wrench?
If you enjoy driving, you undoubtedly didn’t miss the Ford v. Ferrari movie. The movie, which chronicles the incredible tale of how the Blue Oval defeated the Prancing Horse at Le Mans, is a delight for auto aficionados since it depicts all the thrilling occasions and figures that have influenced the American auto industry.
Those who have seen it will undoubtedly recall how an irate Ken Miles (Christian Bale) threw a wrench at a 1963 Cobra’s slabside glass in the first few minutes, cracking it. Now is your opportunity to acquire a Cobra with a shattered windshield and an accompanying wrench with an engraving of Carroll Shelby.
Along with a brand-new vehicle created by Shelby American, Shelby Legendary Cars, and Superformance, these two products are available. The vehicle, which is officially known as the 2020 Shelby 289 FIA Cobra roadster, is the first in a series of 100 builds honoring Shelbys in motion pictures.
Yes, the corporation is producing cars in tribute to those who have been in movies since the dawn of time. Each of these particular Shelbys, which are part of a run named Cinema Series, will provide something special. For the first one, that entails the cracked windshield (which is offered as a spare, not installed on the automobile), as well as the wrench.
In other ways as too, this new car is not your typical Cobra. Its 450 hp 298 ci engine, which was expanded to 331 ci/5.4 liters by adding a stroker crank, is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
According to a comment from one of the company’s board members, Aaron Shelby, “While the individuals in the movie undoubtedly grab a lot of attention, it’s the vehicles of that era that everyone dreamed of driving.”
“Because of this, Shelby American and Superformance collaborated to produce a small number of unique Cinema Series cars. Driving one of these vehicles honors everyone who contributed to making America a victor as a member of that team.”
The 2020 Shelby 289 FIA Cobra Roadster Ken Miles Edition, the first in a long series, will be offered for sale by Barrett-Jackson at the Palm Beach auction in April.
A victory over Ferrari by Ford at Le Mans?
In 1964, Ford Motor Company began making an effort to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans. After two disastrous seasons in which Fords were unable to even complete the race, the American carmaker experienced an exciting 1-2-3 sweep in 1966. On the podium, Henry Ford II celebrated the decisive victory alongside the two New Zealand-born race winners, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon.
Was Ken Miles’ car door open?
How accurately the carnage is depicted in Ford v. Ferrari’s treatment of Le Mans (and other races like Sebring) is one of the most surprising aspects of the film. Major collisions caused no fewer than seven vehicles to crash out of the 24-hour race, many of which were brought on by the rain that began to pour as night fell. There was an incident involving Ferrari racer No. 20 that included a Porsche and a French Matra MS620. Many more cars, including the Ferrari and Ford competitors featured in the movie breaking gaskets and destroying their engines, did not finish the race due to less terrifying mechanical malfunctions.
Among those terrifying mechanical issues, Miles did had difficulties closing the door of his Ford GT40 Mk II, apparently because he bent the door by smashing it on his own (helmeted) head. Despite this, Miles still managed to break numerous lap records. The car’s “brake fade” problem and the pit crew’s unconventional plan of replacing the complete front brake rotors — to the surprise of French racing officials but apparently not the strong objections of Ferrari’s own pit crew that are featured in the movie — are both real-life events. Shelby’s theft of the Ferrari team’s precise Swiss stopwatches, a flourish that is regretfully missing from the source material, did not worsen the risky, untested aspect of this attempt.
However, there was less internal fighting among the Ford crew regarding Beebe’s order for Miles to slow down so that the second- and third-place Fords could catch up for a three-way photo finish, in keeping with the numerous instances of dramatic license already reviewed. Beebe’s recommendation was accepted by Shelby at the time, however he later regretted it in light of Miles’ untimely passing a few months later. He states in Go Like Hell that “Leo Beebe and Henry Ford convinced me to allow the three cars to cross the street at the same moment, and I will always regret that decision. Ken would have won the race if he had been one and a half laps ahead. His heart was broken. Then, in August, he passed away.”
Despite being aware that he had been fucked, Miles was also more accommodating in real life than in the film. He skillfully attempted to explain to Bob Thomas of the Los Angeles Times “Be careful how you report what I said, please. For these people, I labor. They have treated me quite well.” A little hagiographic Hollywood dramatization like this, with just a little extra polish, may be appropriate for a man this affable and skilled, who was denied respect in his lifetime owing to small technicalities and a fatal accident in his late 40s.