Ford vs Ferrari: The Facts and the Fiction

Whether you’re a Ferrari enthusiast in Chicago or you’re a fan of Formula 1, you likely have an opinion on an auto rivalry or two. In 2019, a famous competition was made into a movie called Ford vs. Ferrari. But, is Ford vs. Ferrari a true story? Many details in the Ford vs. Ferrari movie are true and give us a glimpse into the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari back then.

Details in the movie include Ford’s determination to win the 1966 Le Mans after half a decade of Ferrari dominance. Ford vs Ferrari features Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Ford’s designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles. While Ford succeeded and unleashed a string of Shelby performance vehicles on the world shortly after winning the 1966 Le Mans, they wouldn’t return to the race for 50 years, and Shelby’s modern namesake falls short of every model in the Ferrari lineup.

The Story

As we mentioned, the Ford vs. Ferrari movie gives us a glimpse into the competition between these two major automotive companies. But, how much of the Ford vs. Ferrari movie is a true story? We’ll help you find that out today. For a long time, Ferrari has introduced elegant and powerful automobiles for nearly a century but there have always been challengers to the throne. After winning the 1958 Le Mans and then going undefeated from 1960-65, everyone was gunning for Ferrari’s top spot.

In 1963, Ford Motor Company made an offer to buy out Ferrari, but negotiations were cut short when Enzo Ferrari discovered Ford wanted to take hold of Scuderia Ferrari and claim Le Mans for the American automaker. Furious at being spurned, Henry Ford II poured resources into their racing division with a single goal: defeat Scuderia Ferrari.

Ford proved that it was capable of producing incredible performance vehicles and handling a racing time as Shelby, Miles, and Ford went down in history for their victory at the 1966 Le Mans. With that being said, the win was all power, no elegance — and it kicked off a legacy of Ford production models failing to compete with what Ferrari puts forward.

Ford GT vs. Ferrari SF90

Now that we know the answer to, “Is Ford vs. Ferrari a true story?” how are Ford and Ferrari doing today? Ford continues to aim to offer incredible performance models but how do they hold up against Ferrari? One of the most iconic vehicles Ford has introduced is the Ford GT which draws inspiration from the Ford GT40 Le Mans race car. Likewise, Ferrari continues to produce an incredible range of vehicles that push the envelope of engineering.

One model that’s especially iconic is the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. It features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that delivers almost 1,000 hp. Personally, we think the Ferrari SF90 Stradale is on its own playing field but let’s let the numbers speak for themselves for both the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and the Ford GT:

Engine

• Ford GT: 3.5L EcoBoost V6
• Ferrari SF90 Stradale: 4.0L Twin-Turbocharged V8 Plug-In Hybrid

Horsepower & Acceleration

• Ford GT: 660 hp & 0-60 mph in around 3.0 seconds
• Ferrari SF90 Stradale: 986 combined hp & 0-100 kmh in around 2.5 seconds

While the Ford GT certainly delivers plenty of performance, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale will be more exciting to drive around Indianapolis, IN.

The Latest Ferrari Models

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is just the beginning of powerful performance vehicles you can add to your Minneapolis, MN garage. In fact, there are many exceptional models for you to enjoy on the track. Here are some of the latest Ferrari models available:

• Ferrari 812 GTS: 789 hp/530 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari 296 GTB: 818 hp/546 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari 296 GTS: 818 hp/546 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari SF90 Stradale: 986 hp/590 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari SF90 Spider: 986 hp/590 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari F8 Tributo: 710 hp/568 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari F8 Spider: 710 hp/568 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari Roma: 612 hp/561 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari Portofino M: 612 hp/561 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari 812 Competizione: 819 hp/510 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari 812 Competizione A: 819 hp/510 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari Monza SP1: 799 hp/530 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari Monza SP2: 799 hp/530 lb-ft of torque
• Ferrari Daytona SP3: 829 hp/514 lb-ft of torque

Discover True Performance at Ferrari Lake Forest!

If you haven’t yet seen Ford vs. Ferrari, we recommend you see it for yourself! Just keep in mind that outside the Ford vs. Ferrari movie, the facts tell a slightly different story: the 1966 Le Mans was a blip, a victory built out of spite that Enzo Ferrari wouldn’t let his racing team be bought. With that in mind, if you interested in learning more about the legacy of Ferrari? Contact us today at Ferrari Lake Forest and feel free to stop in our Lake Bluff dealership when you’re ready to discover the true performance of a Ferrari.