Ford vs. Ferrari

[RandyShields]

Went to an Imax screening of this film last night, and I have to say it is really impactful.  I know a lot of you are racing and car guys, and you should really plan to see this on the big screen for full effect.  While the racing is very realistic, the acting is truly superb, particularly Christian Bale, who plays Ken Miles, the driver who helped Carroll Shelby and the team build the Ford GT40.  I think his performance is Oscar worthy.  Tracy Letts, the actor who played Ford, is also great.  The movie is promoted as the battle between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari, but I think the real story is about Ken Miles and his friendship with Shelby.  After growing up with some guys who rebuilt and drove some AC Cobras, this was special.  Hope you get to see it.

 

 

[realshelby]

Surprisingly this story was more historically correct than I expected. While there were liberties taken, the sequence of important events was fairly true. To this day I think the loss of Ken Miles meant the end of the true Shelby way of inventing better ways to make cars go fast. While there were things still in the works, Shelby never really recovered from this. 

 

Shelby American success was a team effort. Phil Remington and Ken miles, along with the other very dedicated team,  were the ones that actually made that name famous. Shelby was the front man. 

[Antimatter]

I also went and saw it on Sunday.  For those wondering, be aware that it is 2 hours and 33 minuted long.  I really enjoyed it - I think the emphasis on the personal stuff rather than the racing made it a much easier movie to watch.  I know from my limited knowledge that the story line and personalities were 'amped up' a bit to make the movie, as well as having the timeline messed with.  But, if you like cars and history, its a good movie and well worth paying to see.

[Patallaire]

Saw it this weekend in an IMax theater, it was an engrossing movie, extremely well acted and the racing scenes were well done and reminded me of the older 70s movies, such as grand Prix and Le Mans.  It is long, but didn't feel that way when I was watching it.  It is 2:33 long so plan your bladder accordingly. Highly recommend it.

[Sonor]

I want to see the movie as the Cobra was and is my favorite car.  Not that i will ever be able to afford one, just saying I really like the style and performance.

[John Ranalletta]

When I was a kid, I hung around with a bunch of Ford guys in Springfield, IL.  One was Brad Wagner.  His mom bought a 427 Shelby Cobra for him to go drag racing.  It was tuned and driven by Jim Fields.  I was just a hanger-on and errand boy, but it was a hoot.  The car arrived on a trailer from LA. (see url below)  Brad had flown out to do the deal.  He had a LA firm make a hard top for it and had Hurst build the (AFAIK) the first Hurst shifter for a Cobra.  On arrival, the engine was pulled and shipped to Holman & Moody, Ford's unofficial race division in NC to be balanced and blueprinted.  As I recall, it had two, Holley 650 CFM carbs, 12" slicks aft and FIrestones front.  Starting it was akin to starting an airplane.  Switches were thrown for fans and fuel pumps before lighting it up.  Man, it was something to see and hear.

 

Jim Fields had a rep as a tech and driver at Ford.  One day, a trailer with Ford's GT cars inside pulled up and the crew visited with Jim.  I never saw the inside of the trailer.  Jim drove a restored '57 Ford Fairlane Vista Cruiser with a retractable top.  Don't remember engine.

 

After selling the Cobra, Brad bought a Fairlane Thunderbolt.  As I recall, it was a 427 side oiler equipped only with controls, front bench seat and fiberglass hood.

 

This is a quote from a Shelby Racer forum: 

 

I was informed at a local car show that a acquaintce I meet through my cobra had passed away this spring.

Has anyone ever heard of a race driver named Jim Fields??
I meet this gentleman about 3 years ago at a local car show.
He told me that he raced the real thing for Carroll Shelby in the 60's in Califorina. He raced the Cobras at the Drag strip and the cars were stored at LA air craft hanger. Some of the stories he
told were incredible. He said Carroll hated drag racing and kind let them do what they wanted for the drag cars. Last year he gave me a buisness card with him as a younger man standing
beside a COBRA with #8 and Wagner / Fields on the door. The first name was hard to make out. I take it that this was their race team. Does any one know any history of this team.

Jim loved Cobras, FORDS , asked for Gods forgiveness whenever
a word about chevy's came out of his mouth. When first
say my car he was so complimentary and when I found out he raced for Shelby ,I told him you know its not a real one.
He replied " oh I known , but I also no there are no BAD Cobras so it looks great to me." He will be missed by alot of us at the
local car shows and cruise-ins.

 

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/shelby-racing-history/54484-shelby-racer.html

 

[RandyShields]

Last night I watched a fantastic 2-hour Netflix documentary on Carroll Shelby.  There was a lot of vintage footage of him growing up, racing, and developing cars.  There are interviews and stories from many of the era, including Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney, John Surtees and Edsel Ford II.  Lots of good background color on Carroll that I was unaware of, including painting his first (and at the time only) built Cobra different colors as he lent it to various moto journalists to create the impression of having more cars.  Heck, even though this looks like it was produced by his kids and grandkids, they didn't even know how many times Carroll was married (5-7 were the guesses)!  What a stud.  He lived a long and eventful life.  Highly recommended for anyone interested in this great chapter of American racing.

 

https://www.netflix.com/title/81218074

[realshelby]

Carroll Shelby led an eventful life for sure. In the right place at the right time and took advantage of the opportunities. He was one of my Hero's growing up!

 

Starting at the time he went with the Shelby Series I cars with the Oldsmobile engines and through the rebirth of the Ford partnership with the Shelby GT 500 built by Ford and labeled in his name, there is an equally interesting story. But not in the same way as the first part of his life. 

 

Greed and allowing outsiders to influence him tainted my image of him. I have gotten past that and "forgiven" what went on. But the new movie does show exactly what made "Shelby American" the piece of history it is. 

[Whip]

Saw it last week.

 

Good show!!!!

 

 

[RandyShields]

[Veefore]

Great movie, two thumbs up!