Whether you are a racing fan, a sports car fan, or a diehard automotive enthusiast, you’ll be interested in the new untitled Ford vs Ferrari Movie. It explores a little-known story about how Henry Ford II dispatched a team to challenge Ferrari dominance in world racing.

Overview

According to Variety, the movie is in development by Chernin Entertainment. It focuses on Ford engineer Carroll Shelby’s mission to build a racecar to defeat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship. Mustang fans will recognize the name Shelby. It is currently used to indicate one of the faster Mustang editions.

Matt Damon will play Shelby, according to Variety. A well-known sports figure, Shelby was a racecar driver and automotive engineer with his own small company. It was natural that Ford II would turn to him, considering the fact that Shelby had won LeMans in 1959. The racer had been driver of the year at Sports Illustrated in 1956 and 1957.

Team and Cast

Shelby’s team of American automotive designers and engineers are aided by Ken Miles, a British race car driver. He is credited with helping Shelby develop the winning racecar and the Shelby Mustang. Variety reports that this role will be played by Christian Bales.Director James Mangold is leading the film which is expected to start filming soon. Mangold is best known for movies such as The Wolverine, Cop Land, Logan, Knight and Day, and Walk the Line.

Significance

Spoiler alert. Shelby’s team would achieve fame for the creation of the MK II GT40. The Ford company became the first American manufacturer ever to claim an overall Le Mans victory. A driver’s death in the same car later led to the development of the steel cage to protect the driver. A revised Ford Mk IV GT40 would win again at Le Mans in 1967.

The original Shelby Mustangs were produced in the 1960s. The nameplate was revived in 2005 and has become a favorite of Mustang enthusiasts.