Why it was: Ford VS. FERRARI?

I would say: The most Famous Rivalries of the history that started in the 1960s.

       This rivalry doesn't cover fame, money, lifestyle and so-called standard or class level we get when thinking of cars. This rivalry teaches us the inspiration of never giving up, loyalty, hardship, and understanding the machine/automobile/cars.

 

     It all started in 1963 when Henry Ford II aka Hank the Deuce attempted to acquire Ferrari. The ford was losing its business and they decide to buy Ferrari (which was the most dominant team in racing). That time the most controversial and famous race "24 hours of Le Mans" was held 5 times and Ferrari, an Italian iconic brand had won 4  times. About "24 hours of Le Mans".Ever Heard? let me introduce:

24 HOURS OF LE MANS :

              The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France. It is considered one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world and has been called the "Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency".The simple rule that his endurance racing follows is "The car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours is the winner." It is the ultimate endurance test for man and machine. Each year, more than 250,000 enthusiastic spectators flock to 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ferrari was the most winning car brand of this famous racing competition in the 1960s. And this ain't easy s**t. Here are so many laps in the map and the map is astronomical that car drivers have to cross over. There is no perfect lap but at least we can try making it perfect ;).

Back-to-Track :

                      Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca was an American automobile executive and the team members of Ford Motor Company went to deal with Enzo Ferrari. It was a  deal in which Ford Motor Company will give 10 million dollars to Ferrari to buy Ferrari. Ford made a contract in a decision that Ford-Ferrari will handle the production and Ferrari-Ford will handle the racing. The intention of Ford was only to spread Ford's influence around the globe along with racing Italian most iconic car brand-Ferrari. But somehow deal went ugly and after months of negotiations, Ferrari balked to accept the deal.

But Ferrari also said to Ford that they don't wanna sell their cars to the ugly car company who manufacture ugly cars. Also, they insulted Ford saying that Henry Ford II is pig-headed and wasn't even able to candle to his dead father i.e Henry Ford. To add the wound, Ferrari sold his car to another Italian brand-Fiat after the very next day of the incident took place.

   The reaction of stubbornness, egoistic automobile titan became willing to spend $25 million and thousands of engineering man-hours to avenge its pride and to step into the most endurance race "24 Hours of Le Mnas" to beat Ferrari. Ford didn't have a racing car at that time. Then, Ford hired Caroll Shelby who was the retired car racer of 24 hours Le Mans. He was just the car dealer at that time. He and his British car driver, Ken Miles were hired by Henry Ford II and  Lee Iacocca. They then built Ford GT-40, a new racing car that was capable to finally defeat the perennially dominant Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. After that biggest contribution of Ken Miles and Caroll Shelby, Ford Motor company car won Ferrari 4 times in 24 hours of the Le Mans race.

ENGINEERING OF FORD GT-40:

 After losing to Ferrari at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965, Ford turned to the legendary Los Angeles car designer Carroll Shelby, one of the only American drivers to ever win at Le Mans, to run race operations. Shelby (played in the movie by Matt Damon) was already a consultant on the project, but now he was in charge, responsible for its success—or failure. Finally, what made that Ford GT-40 to win over the most dominant famous car Ferrari. What modifications they did? Shelby and Miles first improved the handling and stability of the vehicle by improving its aerodynamics through flow testing. They taped wool streamers or tufts to the exterior of the car to see how air traveled over and around the vehicle. The better a car cuts through the air, the less power is required to propel the vehicle, which also leads to less fuel consumption. If the yarn lay flat, all was good. If not, it indicated there were flaws in the car’s design that adversely affected downforce and stability. The data collected allowed Miles and Shelby to make body and suspension modifications that helped the GT40 be more stable and maneuverable on the track. The brake problem was solved by Phil Remington, an engineer on the Ford team. He devised a quick-change brake system that allowed the mechanics to swap in new pads and rotors during a driver change, so the team didn’t have to worry about making the brakes last the entire race.

                                       

   To address reliability issues, the team used a dynamometer. A standard practice today, putting an engine on a dyno, as it is commonly known, was revolutionary in the mid-sixties. A dynamometer is a device that can measure force, power, and speed—so you can figure out how much power you need or how much you have on hand. The experimental team videotaped practice sessions before Le Mans and programmed a dyno to re-create the various stress points on the track. Then the team ran the engine for 24 to 48 hours on the dyno, virtually re-creating the conditions the engine would face during the race so it wouldn’t break down before the finish line.

CONTROVERSIAL FINISHING OF THE RACE :

                               All their hard work paid off, and the GT40 Mk. II was born. Ford didn’t just defeat Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966, it humiliated the Italian stallions. While Ferrari didn’t even have a car that completed the race, GT40 Mk. II’s captured first, second and third places.ate in the race, Miles was well ahead of the competition, on his way to ending Ferrari’s dominance at Le Mans and becoming the only driver to win the world’s three biggest endurance race—the 24 hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year.

Ford’s PR guru Leo Beebe wanted to celebrate the win with a picture of the trio crossing the finish line together. So, he had Shelby order Miles to slow down and let the other GT40 teams catch up. After crossing the line, Miles was informed that he did not win the race. His teammate Bruce McLaren did. McLaren started several cars behind Miles. So even though Miles was faster until the very end, McLaren actually traveled farther faster, because Miles intentionally slowed down. Sadly, Miles died in 1966 while testing another FORD car before he could race another Le Mans.

     Ford then is only one American brand to win 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

INGENUITY :

Never underestimate the commons.

   Ford was the common one of the car companies that was driving its daily race to manufacture cars. Its sales were drowning. Along with that, they were insulted but the insult turned out to be their biggest blessing. This rivalry was very important to Ford that they didn't care about how Ken contributed and they established the controversy even then in the finishing line. Ken established loyalty marking the example of the best man in the teamwork. He was neither a fan of the fame, standard, prizes nor the money. He was a true friend and the best man dedicated to his interest and work.

KEN MILES AND CAROLL SHELBY

7000 rpm would be about 91.7 mph. At that speed, the car turns out the weight. Not even the perfect car racer survives its continuity traveling 24 hours in a race with that speed.

 "There’s a point at 7,000 RPMs where everything fades.

The machine becomes weightless. It disappears.

All that’s left, a body moving through space, and time.

At 7,000 RPM, that’s where you meet it. That’s where it waits for you."

Also, the money can't buy you the win but you can get one person who gives you the best shot at a time.