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Ford vs Ferrari is a must-watch, feel-good film of passion and family

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Ford vs Ferrari is a must-watch, if not for the rumbling V8s, the 60 music and Christian Bales portrayal of Ken Miles.

The film is about the rivalry between the American automaker Ford and the Italian Ferrari ahead of the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans, the world’s oldest active sports car race in endurance racing

A quick background story: Ferrari and the yellow badge with a prancing horse had been crossing the finishing line before anyone else at the famed 24-hour race for three years straight. They got into some financial trouble because they were spending a lot of money on their racing programme. Pockets drying up, Ferrari looked for a buyer. Ford, looking to change their reputation at the time of being a boring automaker, making family cars, decide to go into racing and buy Ferrari.

The deal fell apart, things got heated, Ford was angered and decided to build its own racing car.

And this is where the beauty of this story is. Ford got Carroll Shelby, who had just won Le Mans but stopped racing because he had heart problems. Shelby goes out looking for a racing driver and someone to help him build the car to beat Ferrari in three months. He manages to get hold of his friend, a struggling mechanic and racing driver Ken Miles, who is hot-headed but a brilliant racing driver. They set out to build the now-famous GT40.

The journey of these two friends battling big corporates, including Ford, ensuring they come up with a winning car in three months is inspiring. It tests Shelby and Miles’ relationship. Miles’ family goes through a lot, reaching a point where even his supporting wife, Mollie, is at her wits’ end.

But thanks to the belief and passion Shelby and Miles have for racing and cars they achieve their goal and build a car that would beat Ferrari for the three years straight.

Friends, family and passion for cars is something we got to experience thanks to the Shelby South Africa team. To promote the movie, the team held a track day where those in attendance were given the opportunity to experience their cars. They are one of the only five people in the world who are licensed to build Shelby cars. All this is thanks to the relationship they have with Hi-Tech automotive.

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The GT40 continuation car built by Hi-Tech automotive

Hi-Tech builds some of the cars that are used in the movie, one of which is signed by Matt Damon (Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (Ken Miles). It will be auctioned off and the proceeds will be used to put local children through school and university.

The relationship between Peter Lindenberg from Shelby and Jimmy Price from Hi-Tech automotive is in many ways similar to that of Shelby and Miles: two people brought together by the love of cars. However, Lindenberg and Price have had the luck of enjoying cars together for more than 40 years, unlike Shelby and Miles.

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Ford V Ferrari

A special shoutout to Noah Jupe, who plays Miles’ kid, Peter, in the movie. The kid showed the role who is boss. If the fame doesn’t get to him, he’s going to be great.

His [Peter] relationship with his dad reminds me of Paige Lindenberg’s relationship with her dad. The passion she has for cars and the Shelby brand made the whole premiere of the movie at Emperors Palace on Thursday a truly amazing experience.

Watch it for the good story it tells about friendship, family, and the passion and love for cars.


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