The sport of Auto Racing has always been known as one of the most dangerous in the world. Over the years, the technology has greatly improved and deaths during races has reduced, but the danger is always there. In the 1960’s, the period where this movie is based, the cars they used in many cases did not even have seat belts and all had none of the new breakaway technology that absorbs the impact and protects the driver from certain death after a fire or collision. The dangerous cars of the 1960’s also burst into flames immediately after a crash, killing the driver in some cases, despite the protective suits they wore.

The new movie “Ford V Ferrari” starring Matt Damon who plays Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale who plays Ken Miles is about the competition that existed between Italian auto maker Ferrari and Ford. At the beginning of this film, Ford makes an attempt to buy the almost bankrupt Ferrari, in the hopes of appealing to baby boomers who at the time were reaching adulthood and buying their first cars. That deal did not work because part of the deal was that Ford could control what Auto races Ferrari was able to compete in. This is what created the angry competition with these two companies that lasted for years. One of the best parts of this movie was the politics between one executive at Ford who did not like Ken Miles and spent a great deal of effort trying to prevent him from representing Ford in any Auto race, or even winning a race. This was despite the fact that Miles was one of the best drivers in the world. Ultimately this film is about Ken Miles and his ability to push any car to its limit, never worrying about his own safety. Miles was also a mechanical genius, largely responsible along with Shelby for advancing Automobile technology.

I thought the many scenes that showed extreme danger of the Auto races including the Daytona 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans, was extremely well done.  There are certain people who just are born to drive fast and because they have no fear, they are able to reach the extreme speeds that are necessary to make them the fastest in the world.

The Rotten Tomatoes ratings for Ford V Ferrari are a very high 92%. My rating is more in the 85% range and I highly recommend this film.