Ford v Ferrari (2019)

What is the Movie Ford v Ferrari About?

In 1963, Henry Ford II approaches retired racing driver Carroll Shelby to develop a new car to compete against the rival Ferrari company, and win the 24 Hours Of Le Mans endurance race. Shelby agrees and hires his hot-headed friend Ken Miles to assist, and their race team set about revolutionising racing technology. However, constant corporate interference threatens their chances of victory. 

Our Honest Review of Ford v Ferrari

You’ll want to have a top-notch sound system for this one! This is a movie best appreciated with crystal clarity and the volume turned right up, so that you can hear every engine rev and tyre squeal in its full glory. 

Ford v Ferrari is a compelling, if slightly overlong, action film that treats F1 racing very seriously. It was clearly written by people who love motor racing, and while there’s plenty of drama off the track, the race sequences are the film’s biggest draw. And they’re spectacular. This is a white knuckle, high-octane thrill ride that sees precision-made cars rocketing around at ludicrously high speeds and we loved it. 

The best bit is you don’t need to be a racing enthusiast to enjoy Ford v Ferrari. The story is interesting enough that even if you’ve no interest in the Ford Motor Company, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. 

What Do the Critics Think of Ford v Ferrari?

The film received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the racing sequences and the performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon. 

• “You see the concentration. You see the sweat. You see the danger. You see the madness.” – Stephen Romei, The Australian.

• “Think Iron Man and Captain America, only it’s a (mostly) true story and what’s at stake is not the fate of the universe, nor even an auto race, but the glorious, endless pursuit of perfection.” – Matthew Lickona, San Diego Reader.

• “It’s a far from perfect film, but a richly entertaining one, with a twist that only devoted petrolheads will know is coming.” – Ed Potton, The Times.

• “Hitting the screen like a shot of pure unfiltered adrenaline, director James Mangold’s Ford v Ferrari is an outstanding historical character study.” – Sarah Michelle Fetters, Moviefreak.com 

• “One of the best ensemble casts of the year, in one of the best movies ever made about auto racing.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times. 

What Awards and Nominations did Ford v Ferrari Receive?

Ford v Ferrari was nominated for multiple awards, including the 2025 Best Picture Oscar. Unfortunately, it didn’t take home the big prize, but it did win the following: 

• Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards, for Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland.
• Best Sound Editing at the Academy Awards, for Donald Sylvester. 
• Best Editing at the British Academy Film Awards, for Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland. 
• Best Director at the Hollywood Film Awards, for James Mangold

Ford v Ferrari Cast & Crew

Fun Facts About Ford v Ferrari

• Christian Bale and Matt Damon waved the green flag at the 2019 Indy 500 race during publicity for the movie. 

• Lee Iacocca’s famous remark about James Bond not driving a Ford was accurate until 1971, when 007 got behind the wheel of a Ford in Diamonds Are Forever. 

• An earlier version of the film would have seen Michael Mann directing and Brad Pitt in a lead role. Mann would instead direct Ferrari (2023), while Pitt starred in F1 (2025). 

• This was the last film to win the Oscar for Best Sound Editing. The award was merged with Best Sound Mixing to create the Best Sound award the following year. 

• During the Daytona race scene, Shelby holds up a sign for Miles which includes the line ‘go like hell.’ This was the working title for the movie and the name of the source book. 

Themes of Ford v Ferrari

This is a film about masculinity. The relationship between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles is the focus of the narrative and at first they’re at odds. The two frequently clash, and they don’t just raise their voices, there’s a scene where one throws a wrench at the other.  

However, their friendship develops as they gradually learn to respect one another and recognise their skills. This contrasts with the icier business-like approach of Ford, whose ruthless Capitalism threatens their creativity and nearly scuppers the entire project. 

How Does Ford v Ferrari Compare to James Mangold’s Other Work?

Ford v Ferrari is Mangold’s first racing movie, although he has directed a few historical biopics and a few familiar themes can be found. The two central characters of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby have to put up with corporate interference in their work which is similar to the struggles of characters like Johnny Cash (Walk The Line, 2005) and Bob Dylan (A Complete Unknown, 2024). 

Iconic Scenes from A Time To Kill

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• Christian Bale trained for his racing scenes with the Bondurant High Performance Driving School, alongside the film’s stunt co-ordinator Robert Nagle. Nagle called Bale “hands down the best actor I’ve ever trained.”

• The Le Mans race circuit has changed since the sixties, so the crew went to great effort to recreate the layout as accurately as possible. They had to film in five separate locations, which caused multiple headaches for the continuity checkers who had to ensure all the cars were in the correct places and that the weather remained consistent as well.

• Christian Bale had put on significant weight to play Dick Cheney in his previous film Vice (2018), and subsequently had to lose 70 pounds for this role. He reportedly achieved this by “simply not eating.”

• The film was in development for a long time, with director James Mangold first hearing about the project in 2010. The script went through multiple rewrites and it wasn’t until he figured out how to make it with a budget lower than $100 million that he got the green light.

What’s the Soundtrack Like for Ford v Ferrari?

It’s pretty entertaining. It was composed by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders and is a proper, pulse-pounding, adrenaline charger with moments of serenity worked into the mix. They’ve perfectly captured the sheer thrill of pushing a high spec race car up to its maximum speed, before finding yourself travelling so fast your brain can’t keep up.

It’s all instrumental work, but it’s invigorating. If you ever need to get yourself pumped up before competing in a sporting event or taking an exam, this’ll do nicely.

Best Quotes from Ford v Ferrari

• “There’s a point at 7,000 RPM… where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. Just disappears. And all that’s left is a body moving through space and time. 7,000 RPM. That’s where you meet it. You feel it coming. It creeps up on you, close in your ear. Asks you a question. The only question that matters. Who are you?” – Carroll Shelby, describing the thrill of racing in narration.

• “ I watched that little red folder right there go through four pairs of hands… before it got to you. ‘Course that doesn’t include the 22 or so other Ford employees who probably poked at it before it made its way up to the 19th floor. All due respect, sir, you can’t win a race by committee.” – Carroll Shelby, persuading Henry Ford II to change his approach to motor racing.

• “James Bond does not drive a Ford, sir.” – Lee Iacocca, Vice President of Ford makes a memorable quip.

• “Well, you promised me the drive. Not the win.” – Ken Miles, in conversation with Carroll Shelby after a photo finish.

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