Ferrari vs Ford: The Unforgettable Story Behind Two Racing Giants
The Ferrari vs Ford rivalry is one of the most iconic and unforgettable rivalries in motorsports history, symbolizing the confrontation between two automotive titans on the racetrack, it encapsulates a historic rivalry in the world of motorsports
It was the time when Ford’s business was at its peak and manufacturing a huge number of cars. On the other, they are interested in reckoning itself in car racing. At the same time, Ferrari was famous for its race car domination.
Reason Behind the Ferrari vs Ford Battel:
In 1963, When Ferrari was facing financial downfall, the company decided to sell its road car business shares. Ford was seeking to enhance its business and struggling to promote its sports car globally at that time when Ferrari disclosed their decision publically Henry Ford II found it a glamorous chance.
The Ford CEO Henry Ford II jumped to the opportunity and both companies started negotiations and decided on terms and conditions but at the last stage, Enzo took a step back and refused to sell because he was not compelled to lose his race team commands.
That was a very embarrassing moment for Henry Ford II and he decided to take revenge. There was a cold war started between Ferrari and Ford. Ford challenged Enzo’s team for 24 hours of LeMans. There Ferrari vs Ford take revilary starts.
Dominated History of Enzo Team:
Ferrari was famous for its incredible and remarkable racing history. Scuderia Ferrari team was known for its non-compete history. The team consisted of legendary drivers of that time like Ludovico Scarfiotti and Lorenzo Bandini who were famous for their driving skills.
Ferrari was the champion of LeMans at that time. Enzo and his team marked a victory by dominating the 24-hour-long sports car race and they ruled for the next 4 years by securing back-to-back victories from 1960-1965.
Here you can read more bout Enzo’s journey from a test driver to owner of global brand Ferrari.
When the battle happened between Ferrari vs Ford:
When Ferrari vs Ford was the talk of the town, everyone was waiting for the battle excitedly. 1966, was the time when challengers of Ford were ready to beat the Ferrari Team and they introduced the new model GT40 for race to the audience.
Henry Ford took his revenge by Ford beats Ferrari. The legendary GT40 marks victory in LeMans 24-hours with a memorable 1-2-3 finish and bringing an end to the Ferrari era of dominance. Ford achieved victory for the next four years and beat Ferrari in a row from 1966-1969.
To whom Ferrari Sells its Shares:
After the conflict of Ferrari vs Ford ended and the victory of Ford impacted so much on Ferrari’s business Enzo realized that there they needed some external support to stabilize the business so he sold out the company’s 50% shares to the company once who refused to appoint him for the job – Fiat.
Here Learn More about Ferrari Timeless Legacy and Thrilling Evolution