This story doesn’t get into it at all but Lee Iacocca, played by Jon Bernthal, is maybe one of the most brilliant automotive business minds in history. He launched the Mustang, Lincoln Continental, and the Pinto, all of which were huge successes. He eventually became the president of the company, but he didn’t get along well with Henry Ford II and the company fired him in 1978 despite turning a $2 billion profit that year. He went to Chrysler, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, and turned the entire company around by launching the first minivans in America and eventually led the acquisition of AMC, which owned the Jeep brand at the time. During his stint, he actually became the pitch man for the company’s TV ads, with his signature line, “If you can find a better car, buy it!”
@@SigTheSauceMan Not until 1978. Before then, the Pinto was one of the company’s best-selling cars and was inarguably a massive financial success. The fuel tank issues weren’t Iacocca’s fault.
Fun fact about the “sprint to your car” thing at LeMans: Porsche put the ignition on the left side of the steering wheel instead of the right like everybody else, so that when their drivers got in they could shift with their right hand while starting the car with their left, saving maybe one second on what is otherwise a 24-hour race… that’s how competitive these races are. They kept that feature in their cars to this day.
Ford had the key on the left as well in there production cars back then. I don't know if the GT 40 had that too. I thought the La Mans car was right hand drive....?
Got a kick out of Ashleigh being amazed about the rear engine. Proof she is a true millenial. The original Volkswagen Beetle was taken out of production for that reason. I don't know much about cars but I have spent time around gear heads. I also loves how she thinks these races are NASCAR. Competitive racing was going on long before whiskey runners of the south.
@@sdelong74 Ummmmm....The original beetle was taken out of production because it could no longer meet emissions standards. (Standards got tighter, squeezed everybody.) Also, they were getting squeezed by the Asian car manufacturers.
@@f150bftMm, no… Germany has cars drive on the right-side of the road, with drivers on the left side of the car, same as us. Maybe for some races they use British-spec cars, but not LeMans. Also curious which Fords had left-side ignition? Because I know the Mustang didn’t… but that’s where my knowledge of 60’s Fords ends. 😅
Christian Bale & Donnie Wahlberg both have gotten super dangerously skinny for several roles in movies. Of course Bale was more extreme, but that’s just how he is lol.
I was about to comment this, considering that was the movie he did right before Batman Begins. it was a huge swing in weight from one movie to the next.
31:15 That happened. During the running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 a multi-car accident launched one of the racecars directly into the grandstands, after which it burst into fire. 83 spectators, plus the driver of the car, were killed in the accident, and more than 120 were injured. Auto racing was temporarily suspended in France and several other countries because of the tragedy, and racing only resumed at Le Mans after the entire pit and grandstand area was demolished and rebuilt with more safety precautions in place to protect fans.
And don't forget. What made it worse was Mercedes had developed a new magnesium motor for the race and when it exploded it was very hard to put out. Imagine fiery hot chunks of metal slamming into your body.
And yet at WRC events, bystanders are leaning out INTO the road to get a better look at the 100+ mph race car barreling towards them sideways on gravel, or jumping over blind hills. 😂
I went into this film with zero expectations and now it's one of my favorite films. I've seen it so many times. Another terrific racing movie is the 2013 movie Rush which is also a true story.
7:14 She's not saying "boogered", she says "buggered." Buggering is, well, a number of definitions that you can look up, but it's the British way of saying "we are f***ed" but it sounds adorable.
I don't mind driving in the rain but it's that "white" rain that scares the hell out of me. Where it's raining so damn hard you can't see the road and you can hardly see anyone in front of ya.
Ford going for the ride in the car with Shelby is my favorite scene in the movie. It starts out cool and a nice big middle finger to the asshat Leo. Then it turns funny with the reaction of Ford. It turns hilarious when he bursts out crying and Shelby is uncomfortable. And then... the big twist of the sensitive knife when he explains WHY he is crying! Wow!! I can't remember another time I have gone from laughter to on the verge of tears that quickly while watching a movie. Soooo good!
I can't tell you what Ford II was like in real life. But his characterization in this film makes him out to be - not an evil man - but perhaps arrogant (justified) and a bit out of touch due to his position and wealth (also understandable). I love how the actor plays him - particularly in this scene. You go from laughing AT him to feeling FOR him in the blink of an eye back to being apprehensive about what he'll do with the wager Shelby is proposing. (Not shown in this reaction video - Shelby wagers his COMPANY on Ken Miles winning at Daytona. And Ford II takes him up on it. He'll get Shelby's company if Ken loses! This explains his reaction after the race. But I doubt he was too mad about losing the wager - either way he comes out on top.) The man IS a predator. He HAS to be. In his position he has no choice. But he's characterized here as a predator with a HEART. I keep forgetting the name of the actor playing him - but he OWNED that entire scene! Fantastic performance!
The car ride was my favorite scene too for the exact same reasons it was yours. The best part was that a-hole Leo trapped in that office. He closely resembles someone I’m not exactly fond of so it was kind of a bonus scene for me. Surprisingly, my wife really enjoyed the movie too. Well, maybe not so surprisingly…we both thought “Baby Driver” was great.
@@douglasskaalrud6865 I still need to see that. Saw a trailer or read a synopsis of it and didn't think much of it, but I keep hearing great things about it.
@@logandarklighter Can to a degree because I was on the edges of the racing community at the time. Ford II was always being compared to Dad... Mr Ford. & Constantly reminded, you'll never be as good as your father. & Ferrari had no intention of ever selling any part of Ferrari to a crappy auto maker like Ford & they 'openly' mocked Ford II & laughed about it later. What Ferrari did was use the threat of selling to Ford to get more money out of FIAT. Ford II was used & he was PISSED. I can remember Carol Shelby struggling with his Cobra cars. When he switched to the Ford GT-40 for Ford II he said. "I found out for the 1st time in my life what 'Blank Check' meant." And it infuriated Ferrari that a backyard Texan 'Chicken Farmer' like Carol Shelby could build a car in his little shop that could beat their incredible world renowned Italian craftsmanship built by the finest engineers. Ferrari built 'Racing Cars' Ford built...Boring cars. That's why Ford II paid anything to kick Enzo Ferrari's ass 3 years in a row. He had to prove himself to everyone. In the US & abroad. & He gave them all, one giant. 🖕
You're surprised he didn't quit? $200 a day is about $2000 now. They're in super-hurried mode, so he's making $10-14k a week, over half a million a year in current dollars. Not a job it's easy to quit when you were recently basically unemployed and about to lose everything
Carroll Shelby was a friend of a friend; an acquaintance at best. He loved life on the hard edge, so for most people he knew it was better for them to be acquaintances than friends; he was hard on friendships. Carroll had no patience for any BS from anybody, because he knew before they opened their mouths that his BS was ten times better than theirs, and I never knew him to be wrong on that. Carroll had the best BS there was, even when he was telling the pure truth. When I first met him I was 13 years old and easily impressed, but my first impression of him never changed. The man who introduced me hated Shelby, but admired him more than he hated him.
Sometimes great men are like that. You might not be able to LIKE them on a personal level. But they earn your RESPECT. And in a working relationship - respect carries the day over friendship. Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman of Mythbusters fame are like that. They never once considered each other personal friends. But they RESPECTED each other enough to work magic.
Carroll Shelby is an iconic name at Ford. He created the Shelby Mustang on of the most iconic cars Ford ever made. Actor Steve McQueen made it blast off in the movie Bullitt with the most legendary case scene in movie history. Probably another one for Ashleigh's old movie choices. Carroll Shelby is the grandfather of muscle cars. Muscle cars are street cars with racing engines.
And notice that Ken was not impressed with the stock Ford Mustang one bit in this film (And rightfully so - the stock Mustang is all engine, no finesse and utterly crap in the turns - and I say this as a lifelong FAN of the 60s Mustang line!) . But I have to believe he would've approved of the way Shelby transformed it into a proper racing machine!
Such a phenomenal film. The acting is incredible, especially from Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Bale lost quite a bit of weight to say the least since he just did Vice where he played Dick Cheney and so this was another transformation for him a year later. Great to see you watch this film Ashleigh, hope you’re doing well. Take care!
Those 'cute little cars' do have doors. They're ''Shelby Cobras'' that were made by Matt Damon's character. They're small British cars with 'big' American V8 engines. And they just kept getting bigger. Back in the 60's you could buy them from any Ford dealership for about $6000. Now, a bunch of them are worth 7 figures.
If you stick with the original smaller 289ci V8 they are beautiful well balanced sports cars. But 98% of people screw up & put a much larger V8 in them turning it into an over powered, unbalanced death trap when in the hands of an inexperienced driver. I have literally seen more than one person crash their car exiting the dealership for the 1st time. Wonderful cars if you get the right one. Death traps if you don't. Much research is required before any purchase. Even on the copies. BOTH a winning Le mans Cobra & a Ferrari it beat - went thru auto auctions not too long ago. The Cobra: a no Sale at $8 million. The Ferrari: Sold at just over $20 million.
Sad fact and nobody tell that about this movie but the Italian racer in the Ferrari was Lorenzo Bandini, who was a talented and humble guy in real life and died by a horrendous accident in the next year (1967) at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco.
A completely different style of racing. A completely different type of relationship between the two lead characters. And a completely differently paced and shot movie. Yet in the essence of what it means to be racer and to risk one's life - it dovetails so perfectly with THIS film. Both are amazing - I highly recommend both. And a "double feature" with the two films is a most EXCELLENT movie evening!
Love this movie. I never was a big fan of racing. But when Shelby held up the sign saying “Go like hell” my innner NASCAR dad popped out. Just makes me want to drive like crazy…on a racing game. LOL
My father, who was into rally driving, was acquainted w/ several of the personnel involved here, and he much enjoyed watching racing events. (While my father never won any event where he participated in, he exerted quiet influence on others who did.) My Auntie also was into sports cars, and for a while owned a street-version Ferrari which had previously been in the possession of trumpeter/vocalist Herb Alpert. I believe that my dad and aunt would've liked this flick.
2:55 Bale’s accent in this is close to his own natural British accent. Ken Miles was born in Warwickshire, while Bale was born in Wales, although he’s English, not Welsh. He was raised in various parts of the UK so his accent isn’t exactly tied to a specific place. I like one local reference he makes in the film: when talking to his wife (played by the outstanding Caitríona Balfe), he mentions “going ‘round the Wrekin,” which is a specific hill in east Shropshire. I thought that was a nice little touch.
I'm glad you enjoyed this one. In my opinion, this movie is more about the characters and their relationships/passions than cars and racing in much the same way as Rocky is with boxing. The fact that it's based on actual people and events just makes it even better. If you might be interested in another racing/car movie kinda like this one, you should watch Rush with Chris Hemsworth
This is a great movie. My father worked at a garage that only worked on Ford's, and only Fords with V8s. They also professionally drag raced and my father was one of the drivers. On weekends he raced his own car on oval tracks. Since we only had one car, it was the '57 T-Bird that he raced. My childhood was a lot like Ken's son's. I would stand on our cooler and watch him race on weekends. If he wasn't racing we were at one of his friends houses and they were tearing down and rebuilding somebody's racing engine. It was a pretty cool childhood.
Such a great movie. It shows the passion that racers have for the sport as well as the pettiness of the corporate suits. And, no matter what the official result of that race was, everyone that matters knew that Ken Miles was the winner.
I’m so glad you’re going to watch Firefly!! Just make sure to watch Serenity after. Hopefully you’ll give the TV series of 12 Monkeys a shot too afterwards. I can’t remember if you’ve seen the movie version already, I mean it really doesn’t matter. The movie is good, but the TV series is brilliant. Right after Firefly, 12 Monkeys is next favorite sci-fi series.
I would give this stars based on quality of storytelling, production design, hair & make-up/costume, acting, sound design and editing. This is a wonderful movie that was a sleeper hit and reached far beyond a presumed demographic of race car enthusiasts. I, for one, care/know nothing about any of this but I was ENTHRALLED from start to finish.
I recall Top Gear doing a segment on Ken Miles and mentioning he once brought a car in from a test lap because "The left rear wheel feels off.". No other driver reported the issue. They checked and like ONE wheel bearing was slightly out of alignment.
I thought you were mentioning comedian Rob White where he got new tires from Sears and he's exiting the mall and "The left rear wheel falls off. It falls off. It falls the f*+< off!"
Aviators *are* Ray-Bans. As for getting a ride in a racecar, plenty of tracks and events offer rides to the public (for a price, of course) and it's not for the faint of heart. :) Check out the video where former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese takes his wife for a spin, it's hilarious. :) (Suggested to find a version with subtitles, they speak Italian)
The original aviator glasses are from American Optical, not Ray-Ban. Ray-Bans are more popular because they're (generally) cheaper, but AO stuff is HIGH quality. AO Original Pilots are the sunglasses NASA used for astronauts in the Gemini and Apollo days (might still be, but I can't say for sure).
"Grand Prix" with James Garner and "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen are 2 racing movies that might interest you. 2 different styles of movies with GP being almost a romance movie with great action scenes and while LM is almost a documentary of the time. Both men in the prime of their careers.
@@thomast8539 That's why I referred to LM as more a documentary. with many shots actually taken at the race tracks during races. A good way of almost being there.
So glad you watched this and shared it with us! Thank you, darlin'! 🤗 And I'm ECSTATIC that you're going to watch Firefly. I know you're going to love it -- and I know I'M going to love your reactions to it.
I wish Carroll Shelby said his famous quote, “My name is Carroll Shelby and performance is my business.” For some reason they made him say “I build race cars.” Such a missed opportunity!
My Dad (God rest his soul) died just before this movie came out in 2019. He would have loved this movie because he knew more about cars than any person I ever met. Excellent performances by Christian Bale, Matt Damon, etc. Thanks for selecting this.
I saw this film in theaters, so worth it; the audio was cranked loud so you feel the engine vibration through the floor. A well-made story into film too, it was an experience.
Thanks for the reaction from all us old gear heads that lived through this era. As far as you not knowing about cars there are just a couple things. The sports cars from the time weren't cute, they were sexy, curvy and temperamental that's why we referred to them with feminine terms. Back when I was on a pit crew at a local short track we did have women listed on the crew; the drivers wife was listed as car owner, the crew chiefs wife was the statistician and a couple others who's pit pass simply read Pit Tootsie. This has to be the best racing movie ever made, besides basing it on history so much of the jargon used is totally understandable to those of us that grew up working on cars. Welcome, Pit Tootsie.
Calling cars by feminine names and pet names and slurs goes back to the sailing ships of old. If it is beautiful, dangerous, cost a lot, can ruin you or frustrate you, men tend to equate it to women. Go figure.
Saw this in theaters with my grandpa, knowing nothing about the movie or the story behind it, and not really expecting all that much, just going to have a good time. Came out of the theater with one of my new favorite movies and a great memory to share with someone very important to me. 10/10 love to see others watching this for the first time!
Ashleigh this wasn't just about two different brands of cars is about actual racers. Glad you liked it we need you to check out a few more movies dealing with cars I would start out with vanishing point ,the Shirley Muldowney story AKA Heart Like a Wheel, the Gumball Rally followed by the two different versions of The Cannonball Run.
The ending hits hard and is unexpected if you are not familiar with Ken Miles. However, in real life he was not trapped in the car. He was ejected from it and died from the impact. I don't know why they felt the need to change that. In 1973 F1 racer Roger Williamson was killed when his car blew a tire causing it to crash and flip over. It caught fire and came to rest upside down with him trapped in it. Fellow drive David Purley actually pulled over and ran to the wreck and tried in vain to get his friend out. Williamson was conscious until he fell silent and stopped struggling to get out. Official cause of death was asphyxiation. It was all caught on film and is heartbreaking to watch.
I've seen that video numerous times, and it's so hard to watch. Purley was awarded England's King George's medal for his actions trying to get Williamson out.
I love your sense of humor, big laugh, and beautiful accent. A great reaction! Light, cheerful and refreshing for this genre of channels. A genuine pleasure Ashleigh! Thank you!
There is a company called Xtreme Xperience. In your area they are located in Nashville, at the Nashville Superspeedway. This is a racetrack experience. They also offer Open Road locations. One is in the Smoky Mountains. Kind of pricey, but maybe a famous RU-vidr like you could get a special deal? 😊 Great review. I'm going to have to actually watch this movie now. LOL
@26:50 That race was a 24 hour endurance race where the teams compete to see how many laps can be completed in the 24 hour duration. Each team has multiple drivers (I think like 4 at least) but each driver has to drive at least 6 hours with 3 being during the night and 3 during the day I believe. But if a driver pulls into the pitstop and gets out of the vehicle he or she can't re-enter immediately and has to give the next person a chance.
I think I'm the same in that I don't have much personal interest in cars, or boxing or sports, whatever, but when the film is good, it's good. Doesn't matter what it's specifically about, it's always the characters and the story that make it work. So I'm always happy to go and check out a film like that because, you never know! Weirdly Speed Racer is now one of my all time favourites, I guess it's debatable how much of that film is actually about real car racing but it's there as an excuse from some insane filmmaking and I love that.
@T..-eleg.ram.-Ashleigh_Burton you should check out The World's Fastest Indian. Based on a true story, more of a road trip movie, just a heart warming story of an old man & his unwavering drive to achieve his dream.
Love that they got the brummie accents right for Ken and Mollie and details like young Pete wearing an Aston Villa football shirt while listening to the race.
I could *not* wait to see your reaction to Henry Ford Jr. start crying after he said he was born ready. You didn’t disappoint!!!! Love you, Ashleigh!!!! 😂❤️
What an amazing community, and Ashleigh you are amazing for doing homework so you can’t really understand the films as best as you can. That’s amazing.
In its documentary, one famed star of movie "Grand Prix, " Eva Marie Saint, described how racer Lorenzo Bandini, who's portrayed a bit villainously in this film, walked the Monaco Grand Prix circuit with director Frankenheimer, to help him pick the spot most likely for a movie crash: the curve leading onto the harborfront. "Which is exactly where he was killed the next year," she said. Of Bandini, she finished by saying "He was a lovely person." So much for movie portrayals.
Great Reaction....... "Can I ride in a Fast Car??"..... Some NASCAR Tracks have a "Ride Along Experience" where they have put a passenger seat inside a car and you can ride for a certain number of laps...... Lee Iacocca was an executive for Ford during this timeframe and became the President of Chrysler in the 1980's and saved Chrysler/Dodge...
It wasn't that Ken was trying to be the bigger person. It was that Ken made the decision to sacrifice his own ego and desire, and be a team player because he knew it meant keeping the gig, so that he could provide for his wife and child. He chose the needs of his family, and his responsibility as husband and father, over himself. From a strictly story purpose, that was the necessary completion of his character arc. For him to be able to do for others, including Shelby who had put himself out there for him, as well as the whole team, before himself, was the point.
Christian Bale’s been my favorite actor since 5th grade (my choir class watched Disneys NEWSIES & my new name became Mrs.Jack Kelly). He still is (I’m currently 35). Man should have an Oscar for every film he’s ever done really, starting with Empire of the Sun & on up. Because whether or not you end up liking & enjoying the films themselves, he’s NEVER ONCE delivered a bad or uncommitted performance. I have & will continue to watch anything he ever makes. That aside, I saw this film purely because he was in it (though yes I’m also a Matt Damon fan & enjoy a lot of the other cast). But I know nothing about cars or racing, & honestly driving stresses me out & I hate it lol. But I love this film as a whole! I became so invested & found myself at the edge of my seat through a lot of it. I do hate, & was not prepared for Ken to die (Christian doesn’t do that often in films), so I cried at the end. & then like 4hrs later when it was bed time I cried some more & my boyfriend was like what’s wrong & I just sobbed & was like “Christian can’t die” 😭 I petition for Ashleigh to watch more Christian Bale films starting now. American Psycho for HalloBeans anyone..?
Huge respect for race car drivers of the 50s and 60s. Cars were getting super fast yet extremely dangerous. Winning was all on driver skill compared to today where every second of the race is analyzed with data and teach the drivers how to get faster. 24 Hours of LeMans is still one of the premiere races in the world. Just to be invited to race is an honor. The Daytona sports car race at 28:00 is also 24 hours (2024 version is this weekend!). Its different than the NASCAR race there. I've ridden in a sports race car with a pro driver. Amazing! Even street cars are wicked fast on a race track.
You can see a very primitive "safety feature" in photos of old NASCAR races - the driver would take his belt out of his pants and buckle it around the door post and door frame to keep the door closed in case of a crash. 😳 I don't know how those old timers could drive straight without their gigantic balls getting in the way of the steering wheel.
@@karter95 when i was stationed at Grissom in the early 90s went to it every year. Haven't been back that way since the base realigned. Don't ever remember much of the race as I was too busy with the parties on the field.
@@GeryonM there was and still is alot of partying some people go and never see a lap. I have only missed 2 96 and 99. Since 1988 seen a lot of racing history including the 4 fastest indy 500s and 4 of the 5 closest finishes
Since no one seems to have mentioned it - Enzo Ferrari calling Ford "Henry Ford the second" was a reference to his own words that "in racing, only winning matters, and no one remembers who came second" - it was a well known quote, and Ford knew it - this was Enzo calling him an unimportant, insignificant man.
As a lifelong brummie it’s what you call someone from Birmingham We are always defending our accent but we are proud of it bye the way you should watch peaky blinders it’s were I was born
I've watched multiple people react to this movie and it never fails to start the waterworks when Ken dies, it is just so well written and acted that no matter who you are you love the characters and story
To put things into perspective, Carroll Shelby’s name is attached to Ford’s special edition performance models. Even today they are considered the top of the heap.
That's not how it was meant. You don't intentionally restrict the speed of a racecar. It's up to the driver to decide how much of the potential of the car he is using, and how he's balancing speed and endurance during the race. The best racecar is the one that i) wins every race and ii) falls to pieces as soon as it crosses the finish line.
He wasn't a tank commander, he was a soldier in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). He came ashore on Sword Beach on D-Day and distinguished himself when he repaired an abandoned tank in full view of the enemy while they were taking pot shots at him. Once he got the tank working. He climbed into the driver's seat and drove it back to its regiment. He was also one of the first British Soldiers to reach Bergen Belson concentration camp but never spoke of what he saw there.
Makes me laugh seeing the end of this movie for what it was. Bale's demise is an Abstract Inversion of his heroic escape in The Dark Knight RISES. So it's kind of a joke when Phil says "Sometimes they don't get out of the car!", when u consider Catwoman mistaking The BAT for a car
When “Ford v Ferrari” played at the Toronto film festival, one headline proclaimed, “Finally, a Movie With Christian Bale Talking in His Real Voice,” but while Ken Miles was from Birmingham, England, and Bale gets to deliver decidedly Brit lines such as, “I don't bloody think so!,” he told me there's a huge difference
I'll be honest, I'm not interested in cars and I'm probably not watching the movie - more power to everyone who does, it's me, not you. BUT you're watching Firefly and I am so fucking excited for that. If I won the lottery I would have paid good money to get you to Serenity, and thank goodness your community is so awesome because anyone who blows it with spoilers should be tarred and feathered. This is one series I know you will love, you'll laugh and cry and that's why we're here, it's so fun to see your enthusiasm with us.
The emotion of Henry Ford II (nickname was Hank) in the racecar strikes me as genuine, as his father Edsel Ford worked himself to death at a young age, arising from the stress of operating the company's wartime effort in 1943. This resulted in Henry Ford (Edsel's father, and Hank's grandfather) temporarily coming out of retirement and resuming operational control for four years until he himself died. The company passed to Hank and he was left to deal with the massive changes at the end of the war, when the Ford Motor Company was no longer the principle automobile manufacturer or retailer in the USA.
I'm highly recommend another true story race film: Rush (2013), starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl (both actors you should be familiar with in the MCU). Just like this film, it goes well beyond the racing. As always, enjoyed your reaction. Keep up the great work.
They don't really speak on it, but the character played by "Walking Dead Shane" was Lee Iacocca. He is a very famous man in the car industry. He had his fingers in MANY American muscle cars 1964-1972. He later served as president of Ford Motor Company, and then Chrysler, bringing them back from the brink of bankruptcy.
7:14 Derived from Hungarian, I believe. Means 'taking it from the rear'. Back in the old days, the color of a race car was determined by the nationality of the team owner. If the guy who owned your car was Italian, the car was red. French is blue, Belgian is yellow, British is green, and German is silver. When an American team finally showed up in those days, they had to resort to a white car with blue stripes.
