1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Oh man, So off air, we were talking about our 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: I think we're all three of us, you, Max and 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: myself are are contemplating to one degree or another when 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: it's going to be time to get a new car. Yeah. 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 2: I've been rocking the old Honda fit which I've had 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: paid off for many years, and I was just talking 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 2: about how it has a really good track record in 8 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 2: terms of like I haven't really had to do any 9 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 2: major repairs on it except for, you know, just some 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: cosmetic things here and there and just keeping up the 11 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: oil changes and the tires and all of that. But 12 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 2: I am in a place where I've got a kid 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: who's about to be of driving age, kind of pass 14 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: this bad boy on to the kid and then be 15 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: in the market for what I like to refer to 16 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 2: as a big boy car. 17 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: A big boy car Yeah nice. 18 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, that could mean like an suv or something, but 19 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: I think I mean I want something with a little 20 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 2: bit of pick me, a little pickup, you know, a 21 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 2: little bit get up and go a little Yeah. 22 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: I don't know what y'all are talking about. 23 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 3: My car, Sylvia is going to last forever for anyone 24 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: saying out there saying, wait, your car and your cat 25 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 3: have the same name Max like, no, the car is 26 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 3: filt with a y. 27 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: These are the important questions that keep ridiculous historians up 28 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: in nimax. 29 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, and it's it's funny because there are excellent 30 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: podcasts like ninety nine percent Invisible that trace the unknown 31 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: origins of different things. And the world of automobiles, there 32 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: are also many, many fascinating origin stories, some a little 33 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: more wholesome than others. But even if you don't like cars, 34 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: if you don't consider yourself a gear head, you're gonna 35 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: dig this one ridiculous historians, because the Ford g T 36 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: forty is the automotive version of what were those things 37 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: we looked at earlier? 38 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: Spe building spipes, well, spipe stor is what I was 39 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 2: talking about. From from Kerb Larry started a Spike coffee 40 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: shop next to Mocha Joe's. But yeah, we've got historical 41 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: examples of spikee buildings where either to obscure somebody's view 42 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: or buy up a piece of land that would be 43 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: crucial to somebody's business, idea or design, or whatever happens 44 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: all the time, spiteful choices that are not necessarily made 45 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: for any other reason but to piss somebody else off 46 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 2: or up end somebody else's aspirations. Yeah. 47 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And it turns out that the world famous, award 48 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: winning Ford g T forty is itself the result of 49 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: a cartoonish grudge match. So we hope you enjoy this. 50 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: Statistically speaking, at least some of some of our folks 51 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: listening along today are in fact driving a Ford g 52 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: T forty right now as you listen to the show. 53 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then you know, is this gosh, Ben's this 54 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 2: is a long time sins we did this, and I 55 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: know this was maybe a bit of a shared topic 56 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: with your former podcast car stuff, But is this a 57 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: Ford versus Ferrari kind of situation or what's what's the 58 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: deal here? Can you give us a little bit of 59 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: the setup where the spike came from? I know it's 60 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 2: going to be in the episode, but just maybe bring 61 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 2: things up to the modern day. 62 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: All right, So in uh, it may yeah, yeah, it 63 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: may or may not surprise some of us listening to 64 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: learn that people who decide to manufacture their own cars 65 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: sometimes have a bit of an ego. And there was 66 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: a there was this personal grudge match between Henry four 67 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: two and Enzo Ferrari and then other people like Carol, 68 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: the legendary Carol Shelby. They also didn't like Enzo Ferrari, 69 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: and so they decided that they were going to create 70 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: a car that could compete with the Ferrari, that could 71 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: beat these records set by Ferrari's team at a prestigious 72 00:03:59,640 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: race car. 73 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 2: Yes, of course, and I believe we did this episode 74 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: back in twenty eighteen, in the very first year of 75 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 2: doing this show. And in twenty nineteen a very well 76 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 2: regarded film came out starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon 77 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 2: who played Carol Shelby, actually Matt Damon, directed by James Mangold, 78 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 2: and it is called Ford Versus Ferrari, and it is 79 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 2: less about the men themselves, but more about the men 80 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 2: behind the men and the race car drivers that were 81 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 2: sort of like putting these particular vehicles on the map. 82 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: So definitely worth some supplementary viewing if you're interested in 83 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 2: this kind of topic. 84 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: A business deal, god, a ry egos wounded, a race 85 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: that becomes a symbol for it's it's just so weird, man. 86 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: We hope you enjoy it. Folks. Will be back next 87 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: week with another classic no spoilers it turns out the 88 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: Wild West may be a bit of a misleading name. 89 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,559 Speaker 2: The Tame West. Let's roll that tape. 90 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Put yourself in 91 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: a situation. Listeners, imagine that you have been driving all day, 92 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: but not on any road trip, no, on a mission 93 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: of vengeance. Your heart is thumping, your body is on 94 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: its last legs, and you might be about to blow 95 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: up your car or make history. 96 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: Hi, my name is Ben, my name is Nola. And 97 00:05:58,600 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 2: then I have to tell you, and I'm going to 98 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 2: come clean right up front. It wasn't until doing the 99 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 2: research for this episode that I actually understood why those 100 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 2: people drive around in circles all day long. 101 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: Right, Yes, today we are delving into racing, not just 102 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: any race, but one of the most important moments in 103 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: one of the world's most important races. And for a 104 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: lot of people who aren't already race fans, racing's a 105 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: weird thing, you know what I mean, Like, well, you're 106 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: just what everybody's just going left. For a while, I just. 107 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 2: Straight up didn't understand the rules are anything about it, 108 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 2: Like I just didn't. So this was a very eye 109 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 2: opening thing for me, and I am going to defer 110 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: largely to you on this, Ben because many listeners may 111 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,119 Speaker 2: know you had a podcast for many years called Car Stuff, 112 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: where you delved into all things automotive, and I believe 113 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: you guys did an episode on this very subject. 114 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, thank you, Noel. Yes, my co host Scott 115 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: Benjamin and I who longtime listeners will remember from several 116 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: other shows, including Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, 117 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: which you KNOWL and I do with our esteems compatriot 118 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: Matt Frederick. We spent nine years examining everything that floats, fly, swims. 119 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: Or drives as a dope tagline. 120 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: Thank you, thanks man. And one of the things that 121 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: we loved exploring and that listeners loved exploring with us 122 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: was the behind the scenes stories of automotive fame or infamy. 123 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: Because you know, nowadays we're recording this in twenty eighteen. 124 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: You can look at the hundreds of new cars that 125 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: come out every year and you can tell that millions 126 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: of dollars of research and design went into them, but 127 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: we often forget the personal inspirations behind them. 128 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: Well, it's also with today. Other than like you know, 129 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 2: your electric cars and Tesla's and things like that, there 130 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: aren't a whole lot of aha moments as far as 131 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 2: motoring is concerned, Like you've got your McLaren's and these 132 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 2: like million dollars supercars, which is all very niche and interesting. 133 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: But back in the days that we're talking about, it 134 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 2: was kind of like the wild West. There weren't as 135 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,559 Speaker 2: many regulations in place. Racing was a much more dangerous sport. 136 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: It's still pretty dangerous, but in terms of you you 137 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 2: talked about explosions, that was a regular occurrence, but innovation 138 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 2: was something that was I feel like was much more 139 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: hard fought. 140 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would agree, because in every new car that 141 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: you see nowadays stands on the shoulders of giants, right, 142 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: and people will spend years figuring out how to get 143 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: what would seem to be a largely minuscule edge in performance. 144 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: And racing is where we see this to the most 145 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: extreme extent, I almost say cartoonish, but to the most 146 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: extreme extent. And today you and I and our super 147 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: producer Casey Pegrim are exploring one of the most ridiculous 148 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: stories in the world. 149 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 2: Were supposed to acknowledge that Casey exists as a Mario 150 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 2: sound effect? 151 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, that's why it comes up yea. 152 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 2: Is it okay for us to acknowledge that? Does it 153 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 2: cheapen it? Does it take away the fun? 154 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: I don't think so. Do you think so? 155 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: I think it's delightful. 156 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: I look forward to it every time. Also, Noel and 157 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: I try to listen to the episodes after we record 158 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: them to make sure that we don't sound too ridiculous. 159 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: And I got to tell you that sound cue is 160 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: one of my favorite parts. 161 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 2: We have to sound just ridiculous enough. And Casey, as 162 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 2: you know from the segment Casey on the Case which 163 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 2: we'll be returning, does in fact have a corporeal form 164 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 2: and a voice, but from time to time he exists 165 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 2: in the form of a sorry to make you do 166 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 2: it again. 167 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: So this is something that we wanted to bring to you, Todave, 168 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: friends and neighbors. Whether or not you are a racing fan, 169 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: you will find this interesting because this is not just 170 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: a story about racing, not really. It's a story about revenge, 171 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: a story about beef, yes, a story about titans of 172 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: history were very, very personal and dare I say, petty 173 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: problems with each other. And our story begins today with 174 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: well you'll see people say it begins in the early 175 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties, but you can trace it a little further back. 176 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 1: In October tenth of nineteen oh one, Henry Ford, the 177 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: legendary mad genius Henry Ford won a race with a 178 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: car he had built called Sweepstakes, and he always loved racing. 179 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: But the thing about Ford, one of the largest car manufacturers, 180 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: was that they were not building cars to win races. 181 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: They were building cars to be affordable for the average 182 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: American and then later the average citizen of the world. 183 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 2: I believe there was a even a beef at this point. 184 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 2: A driver by the name of Alexander Winton was the 185 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 2: biggest hot shot race car driver of the day, and 186 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: Ford was just bound and determined to kick his butt, 187 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 2: and he did just that, and then that kind of 188 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 2: opened the doors for Ford where people were like, whoa, 189 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 2: we want to help this guy do everything we can 190 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 2: to get his fledgling car company off the ground. 191 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, and by golly, by gum or whatever they 192 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 1: used as a phrase of exclamation in those times. It worked, 193 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: and Henry Ford, not by any means a perfect man, 194 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: went on to be the head of one of history's 195 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: most successful car companies. Fast forward to the nineteen sixties 196 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: when Henry Ford's son named in a burst of creativity 197 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: Henry Ford two electric bogloo joke or no. 198 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,719 Speaker 2: Sure it's done, it's out there. What's done is done, 199 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 2: my friend. 200 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: So now we're in the nineteen sixties. Henry Ford two 201 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: is the chief executive of Ford. That's right. 202 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 2: Henry Ford the second came out of the Navy to 203 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 2: run the company that his father had started after Henry 204 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 2: Ford Senior had gotten a little too up there in 205 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 2: years to continue running it, and Ford the second was cool, 206 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 2: I like, two. 207 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna go. I'm gonna go Ford two. I'm good 208 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: with that. 209 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, he didn't know a whole lot about running the business, 210 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 2: but he was savvy enough to hire people that did. 211 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 2: So we hired this like brain trust, this group of 212 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 2: marketers and finance experts and just in general very very smart, 213 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 2: well equipped people that was known as the whiz Kids, 214 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: and then the Ford Company kind of entered a new era. 215 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly, because you see, the thing that happens often 216 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: with family companies is they will either remain ideologically aligned 217 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:46,559 Speaker 1: with the founder or ideologically opposite. And in this case, 218 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: Henry Ford the second or two loved the things that 219 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: his father loved, and one of those was racing. And 220 00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: by the time two becomes the chief executive, Ford never 221 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: quite manages to get the acclaim they wanted with racing. 222 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: They're associated with some great vehicles, but those vehicles are 223 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: not associated with winning prestigious races. 224 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 2: This is very true, and that's because, like you said, 225 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: their main focus was not necessarily on innovation technologically, but 226 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: it was on really pushing that marketing angle and selling 227 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: the American dream to that nuclear family that was so popular. 228 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 2: In all the ad campaigns we see, they were referred 229 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 2: to as living rooms on wheels, and they were sold 230 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: as part of that American dream ideal. There really wasn't 231 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 2: any interest in having any sporty qualities or like good 232 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 2: handling or anything like that. I just to give you 233 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 2: a sense of the vibe of these ad campaigns. A 234 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 2: quote from one of the Ford commercials is as such, 235 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,559 Speaker 2: and out on the highway, the thought in your future, 236 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 2: with its lower, safest center of gravity, provides a smooth 237 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 2: and midship ride, quiet as a whisper gentleist, a summer breeze. 238 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: Well read, well, we're read, and this is accurate. This 239 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: is not a bunch of advertising smoke. People were buying 240 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: forwards for that reason to satisfy that demand to participate, 241 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: as we established in the American Dream. So two decides 242 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: that one way to innovate forward as a brand is 243 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: to become known not just as a rolling living room 244 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: for the average well to do American, but to be 245 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: known as a credible racing manufacturer. And here they run 246 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: into a bit of a catch twenty two. Up until 247 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: this point, most successful racing vehicles came from dedicated racing teams. 248 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: So they would build a small number of very high 249 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: end cars right or even custom cars, and these cars 250 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: would not be in several cases, would not be considered 251 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: the street legal. They're not what we call daily drivers. 252 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: They are built to kill other cars on the racetrack. 253 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: So if you are a company with a ton of 254 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: money and a ton of credibility in regular daily driving, 255 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: you have to find a way to break into this market, 256 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: and money alone is not going to help you immediately. 257 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: The best way to build a reputation in the racing 258 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: world is to either win a race yourself, which is 259 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: very very very very very difficult coming in new and 260 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: coming in green, or as we see a lot of 261 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: larger companies doing today in places like Silicon Valley and 262 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: in other industries, to find a smaller company that does 263 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: one thing and does it really well and buy them 264 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: so too, and his brain trust, the whiz kids that 265 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 1: Noel mentioned earlier, said let's go buy a racing company, 266 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: and then we can take their expertise, we can take 267 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: their experience and their knowledge, and we can make it 268 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: a part of us, the same way that Rome would 269 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: conquer other territories. 270 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 2: And two went to a race, and in that race 271 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 2: he saw a shiny Italian sexy sports car with that 272 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 2: badge that we know so well, the rearing horse on 273 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 2: the yellow background, the Ferrari, and he saw it when 274 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 2: and then and there decided that he wanted to buy 275 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 2: that company because Ferrari had a storied history in the 276 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 2: European racing game. 277 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: Yes, And one contrast between Ferrari and Ford is that 278 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: in Ferrari's case, the founder, Enzo Ferrari, is still very, 279 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: very active. And if you've ever learned much about the 280 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: history of Inenzo Ferrari, you will see that what we're 281 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: saying is absolutely true, storied racing history and also nothing 282 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: to sneeze at. But Inzo Ferrari is a legendarily cantankerous individual. 283 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: Let's just give him a little bit of backstory. Enzo 284 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: Ferrari was born in eighteen ninety eight in northern Italy 285 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: and he grew up relatively poor in a rural area. 286 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 2: Father of a metal worker and they produced parts for 287 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 2: the Italian Railway. He went to his first race in 288 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 2: nineteen oh eight and decided he was just in love 289 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 2: with the sport and wanted to be a race car driver. 290 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 2: World War One took Enzo's father and brother from him, 291 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 2: and he too joined the army and helped maintain their 292 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 2: motor pool for the Artillery Division. After the war, he 293 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,439 Speaker 2: sold the family home to buy race cars. Then he 294 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 2: won his first race in nineteen twenty four using an 295 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 2: Alpha Romea and it totally changed his life. Alfa Romeo 296 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 2: at the time we're having some financial problems, so they 297 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 2: gave control of their motorsports division to Enzo because he 298 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 2: had proven himself a worthy racer and a smart businessman. 299 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: That's in nineteen thirty three exactly, and he and his 300 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: team won the prestigious twenty four hours at Lemon's race 301 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: four times. Yes, this we're already seeing a little bit 302 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: of Ferrari's bona fides here because he is the best 303 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: kind of person to run a racing company, a former racer, 304 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: and Alpha took control of its racing efforts again in 305 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty seven, and they, I guess you could phrase 306 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: as a demotion. They moved his position, Endo's position to 307 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 1: director of sports and he soldiered on. But in nineteen 308 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 1: thirty nine he left Alfa Romeo and he agreed to 309 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: some terms that would later haunt him, a kind of 310 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: exclusivity agreement. He said that he would not use the 311 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: name Ferrari in relation to racing and racing cars for 312 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: four years. 313 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: But then World War two hit and it turned out 314 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 2: that he and his company we were quite cut out 315 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 2: for helping build planes for the war effort. So it 316 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 2: almost made it a moot point that he couldn't get 317 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 2: right into building race cars and getting back into the 318 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 2: racing game. But I'm sure he missed it very much. 319 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's a good point, because World War two 320 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: affected all auto manufacturers across the planet, including including Henry Ford. 321 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 2: You right, and right after the war ended, Ferrari had 322 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 2: his chance when in nineteen forty nine he entered the 323 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 2: twenty four hour at Lamont Race and totally dominated, and 324 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 2: that became a fixture of that prestigious race. Ferrari reigned supreme. 325 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, Ferrari won multiple Lamond after that time. So 326 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: it's no surprise that two is impressed when he sees 327 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: Ferrari on the track because Ferrari is a known dominant 328 00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: force here, and Two says to his brain trust, to 329 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 1: his executives, to his entourage, he says, I want that one, 330 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: and for some reason, I kind of picture it like 331 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: a Veruk assault and Charlie and the chocolate factory situation. Yeah, 332 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: I want that one and the here's how it works out. 333 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: He sends his trusted emissary, a guy named Don Fry, 334 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:27,160 Speaker 1: to negotiate with Ferrari, and they propose an acquisition deal 335 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: that hits the following points. Ford wants to buy a 336 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: ninety percent stake in the Italian company for eighteen million dollars. 337 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: Under this agreement, it is important to say they would 338 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 1: still be relying on Ferrari and Coe's racing expertise. 339 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 2: They were going to actually spin that off into a 340 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 2: racing division that would be called Ferrari Ford. But Ford 341 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 2: had veto power over a few pretty important things. 342 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: Right, and this is where the this is where the discord, see, 343 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: because we can't emphasize enough that we're talking about two 344 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: very large personalities, that's the polite way to put it. 345 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: And what happens is Ferrari towards the very end of 346 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: the deal decides he's not into it. And this is 347 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: the point where you'll begin to hear the conflicting accounts 348 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,439 Speaker 1: of how it went down, some of which is still 349 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: in debate today. The Ferrari side says that they found 350 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,919 Speaker 1: a deal breaker in the agreement, and that deal breaker 351 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: was the veto power that you mentioned, nol specifically in 352 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: the idea that Ford, the larger company, would have to 353 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: green light expenditures. Yeah. 354 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 2: And I also actually in a film called The Twenty 355 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 2: four Hour War that does a really good job of 356 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 2: chronicling this whole beef situation, it's mentioned that the points 357 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 2: in contention had to do with the fact that Ford 358 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 2: had the power to decide which races they'd participate in 359 00:21:58,040 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: and which drivers to use. 360 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: And that's the biggest one. 361 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 2: Andoe'd like spent his life in this industry, knew these cars, 362 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 2: knew this game. He wasn't going to have some stuffed 363 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 2: shirt American tell him what to. 364 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: Do, right, And you'll hear on the Ford side, you'll 365 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:18,679 Speaker 1: hear people arguing that Ferrari was just looking for an 366 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,440 Speaker 1: excuse to not do the deal. But on the Ferrari side, 367 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 1: these sound like understandable deal breakers, don't they. 368 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 2: It does. And it also was much, much, much smaller 369 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 2: company than Ford. And there was a sense, I believe 370 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: from Ferrari that he didn't want to be swallowed up 371 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 2: by this BMF bureaucracy. 372 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 4: Right. 373 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: We have the specific quote here from a book called 374 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: Ford GT. How Ford Silenced the Critics Humbled Ferrari. And 375 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: I'm not going to tell you the rest of the 376 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: title because they don't want to give away the episode totally. 377 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: But it's by an author named Preston Learner. And in 378 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: the book, the quote from Enzo himself is this. He 379 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: says he doesn't want to become another cog in what 380 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: he describes as the enormous machine, the suffocating bureaucracy of 381 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: the Ford Motor Company. I'm styling a little bit on that. 382 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: I just want to be clear that he's using the 383 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: name Ford Motor Company with intense approbrium, you know, and 384 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: so he he says, we can't agree to this. You 385 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: can't choose the races. You can't choose the racers. I 386 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: know them. I know the racers and the racing both. 387 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: And if we want to spend money on something, it 388 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: should be up to me how he spend it. 389 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and spending money is going to become a big 390 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 2: part of this story really soon. I just want to 391 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 2: pull a little bit of a quote from a review 392 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 2: of this movie, is Ford and Ferrari make racing a 393 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 2: grudge match in The twenty four Hour War. The Twenty 394 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 2: four Hour War is a somewhat jingoistic documentary about that 395 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 2: celebrated and deadly dangerous feud, one that spilled over from 396 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 2: the boardrooms and onto the world's great race tracks for 397 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 2: one all the Marbles decade. And I just wanted to 398 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 2: point that out because the film does kind of cast 399 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 2: Ferrari as a bit of like a Bond villain. 400 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: Type figure and antagonistic force. 401 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the Ford folks are kind of portrayed as 402 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 2: the great American heroes in the story. And as we 403 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,640 Speaker 2: just said, it is not nearly that cut and dry. 404 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 2: This is a man who built a company with his 405 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 2: bare hands from the ground up, and still it was 406 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:26,959 Speaker 2: in control of it as opposed to having it been 407 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 2: passed down. You know, Ford two, I don't think he 408 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 2: was really much involved in the company before he kind 409 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: of came out of the Navy to join up and 410 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 2: take it over from his father. 411 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: So I don't know. I just think that's a little 412 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: bit it's a little bit unfair the way the. 413 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 2: Film has that kind of like adversarial you know, divide there. 414 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: I agree with that completely because again, big personalities, they're not. 415 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: We're not saying either of them are villains, but we 416 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: are saying when Don Fry comes back and says, sorry, boss, 417 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: that that dog doesn't hunt, what happens is Ford too 418 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: is livid. He is curious. His bellows of anger are 419 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: resounding throughout Ford Motor Company, and he says, screw this, 420 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: screw you, no deal. You're right, no deal, and worse 421 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: than no deal, I'm coming for you. 422 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 2: Inzo, I think the quote that I saw is something 423 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 2: along the lines of we're going to Lemont and we're 424 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 2: gonna beat his ass. 425 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, yeah, if we if we can't join up 426 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,400 Speaker 1: with them, then by god, by golly, by gum, we're 427 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: going to beat them. So Ford two says, I don't 428 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: care about the cost, I don't care about the time. 429 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,679 Speaker 1: I don't care about who we need to hire. I 430 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: don't care about what we need to build or where 431 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: we need to find it. I will do anything within 432 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: this company's power to beat this guy. 433 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 2: So Ford had to, you know, he had he had 434 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 2: a big job on his hands. He had to build 435 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 2: a car from scratch in a game that they were 436 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 2: not schooled in. Because that's why they wanted to buy 437 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 2: Ferrari in the first place. They didn't really have to 438 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 2: know how or the team put together to match what 439 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 2: Ferrari had been building for years and years and years. 440 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 2: And the car that ultimately would be the fruits of 441 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 2: this beef was the GT forty. 442 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, the Ford GT forty GT standing for Grand Touring Vehicle. 443 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: It was forty being. 444 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 2: The height of the roof I think. 445 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:34,199 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, overall height forty inches. That's something that was 446 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: required in race and rules at the time. It had 447 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: a large placement V eight engine, and they had to 448 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: teach themselves a lot of things that they did not know. 449 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: As a car company. It wasn't in what corporate folks 450 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: today would call their DNA. So going back to point 451 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: we established earlier. They did something very very smart, which 452 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,120 Speaker 1: is they started pulling outside experts tease. And again, at 453 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 1: this point we have to emphasize this racing is a 454 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: very small world. People know each other, so if Ford 455 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: is going around grabbing some experts, then all the other 456 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: people are hearing about. Zo had to know that this 457 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: was coming. Enzo Ferrari had to have some sort of 458 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: spider sense about this at the minimum. 459 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 2: But when you look at Enzo Ferrari and just the 460 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 2: way he carried himself, I can picture him saying let 461 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 2: him come. Oh yeah, absolutely, and that was more of 462 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 2: a French accent. I can't really do Battalion very well. 463 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: I feel like if we tried to do Italian we 464 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: might both end up being offensive. Let's just give it, yeah, 465 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: We'll just use the power of your imagination. 466 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 2: Dear listening, Can I drop some GT forty specs as 467 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 2: if I know anything about cars? 468 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 4: Yeah? 469 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: Please do, Chris, I'm sure you got them. 470 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 2: So it was a magnesium cast and he had ninety 471 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 2: two separate parts, which is a big deal. And every 472 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 2: single element of this vehicle from the pedal to theo 473 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 2: were custom fabricated. It was a unibody, and it had 474 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 2: as much detail and definition as anything that they would 475 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 2: have made for mass production, more so probably because of 476 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 2: the fact that it was, for all intents and purposes, 477 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 2: a custom job. 478 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: Right, and they used. One of the races that they 479 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 1: did participate in was the Indianapolis five hundred, which I 480 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: think is one of the Indie five hundred. Is one 481 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: of the things that really soured the deal between Ferrari. 482 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: That was one of the races that he would not 483 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: be allowed to participate in because Ford didn't want competition 484 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: because they would get their ass kicked probably, And when 485 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: they started building the GT forty, they were using, as 486 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: anol said, a lot of custom design. They were using 487 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: a lot of lessons learned from their Indie five hundred project. 488 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:54,479 Speaker 1: So they also started, as we said, pulling in a 489 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 1: couple of different luminaries of the time. They spoke with 490 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: calling Chapman, legendary driving force behind Lotus, and they also 491 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: negotiated with Lola and Cooper, and Cooper at the time 492 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: was known for Formula one, but they were kind of 493 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 1: in a decline at the time and they had no 494 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: experience in GT or prototype building. 495 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 2: I think one of the features that I should have 496 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: mentioned that is a hallmark of the GT forty is 497 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 2: that it was very low, very low to the ground. 498 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, very low to the ground, which is important in 499 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: racing there and equally important too with the vehicle itself. 500 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: Is the race in which they decided this beef would culminate, 501 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: and that brought them to the most prestigious race in 502 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: Europe at the time, the twenty four hour of La Mant. 503 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: Can you give us a little bit of a scoop 504 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 2: on what that race is all about. I know at 505 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:55,479 Speaker 2: the top of the show I made it clear that 506 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 2: I only recently discovered what one of these races is 507 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 2: even about, but I still am a little in the 508 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: dark about the legacy of this course. 509 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: Oh boy, okay, this you're going to enjoy this. So 510 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: the twenty four Hour of Lamon is named after the town, 511 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: the closest town to where it occurs, which is Lamont 512 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: in France. It's the world's oldest sports car race that's 513 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: still active. It's been held since nineteen twenty three, with 514 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: I believe a couple wartime complications World War two stuff, 515 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: but this has for the longest time been one of 516 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: the hallmarks of any racing company. If you walk away 517 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: with a victory at Lamont, then your cars are. 518 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 2: Sold because this is about endurance, right right. 519 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: Instead of focusing on just the fastest machine, the Lamon 520 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: concentrates on the ability to build cars that are both 521 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: sporty and reliable. So the vehicles have to have fantastic handling, 522 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: they have to still be aerodynamic and stable at high speeds. 523 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 1: And the race begins in mid afternoon and ends the 524 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: following day at the same hour. It literally is twenty 525 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: four hours. 526 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 2: And there are other races that are like twelve hours, 527 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 2: right right. 528 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: There are other endurance races that approach this kind of thing, 529 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: but Laman was one of the first to do this. 530 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: So how does that differentiate from say like Talladega or Daytona, Like, 531 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 2: what's the difference? 532 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 1: So one of the differences, well, let's take let's take 533 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: INDY five hundred. Sure, so as we're talking about that one. 534 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: So one of the differences with NDY five hundred is 535 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: that the drivers race a specific number of laps. They 536 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: race two hundred laps counterclockwise they go five hundred miles. 537 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: So there's this specific thing in terms of distance as 538 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: a rating. However, in Laman it's get as far as 539 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: you can within that span of twenty four hours, cover. 540 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 2: The most distance in twenty four hours, right. 541 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: Without your car catching on fire, without getting in a wreck. 542 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 2: And it's at night too. 543 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: It's like they go, they go, like staying out for 544 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: twenty four hours. 545 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and just to drop a few little interesting nuggets 546 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 2: about Lament and racing in these days. In general, in 547 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 2: the nineteen fifties and sixties, motor racing was absurdly violent. 548 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 2: Death was commonplace. Yes, the nineteen fifty five Lamon had 549 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 2: one of the most horrific crashes in racing history. A 550 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 2: car exploded, killing around ninety people when flaming debris rocketed 551 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 2: into the packed seats. People didn't typically wear seat belts 552 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 2: because part of the thing at Lama is you have 553 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 2: to run from across the track and hop into your 554 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 2: car and then get going. 555 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: The drivers a lot of. 556 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 2: Times they didn't feel like taking the time to put 557 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 2: on their seat belts, and not to mention that fires 558 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 2: and explosions were so common that. 559 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: They wanted to be able to escape, right, that's why, 560 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: Because the seatbelt might be as dangerous to you in 561 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: their view as not one. Yeah, the nineteen fifty five 562 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: Lamon disaster didn't just change Lamont, it changed motor sports entirely. 563 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: And it actually the catastrophe. I think we mentioned around 564 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: ninety people died, eighty three spectators definitely some a driver 565 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: died as well. There were almost two hundred injuries. One 566 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty people at least got injured, and this 567 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: actually led Mercedes Benz to retire from racing until nineteen 568 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: eighty nine. 569 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 2: In nineteen fifty seven there was another race called the 570 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:38,239 Speaker 2: mil Miglia road Race and there were five Ferraris in 571 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 2: that race. One of them that was driven by a 572 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 2: race over the name of Alfonso de Portago, had a 573 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 2: tire blowout, carreemed into the crowd of spectators. He was killed, 574 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 2: his co driver was killed, and a number of spectators, 575 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 2: including five children, were killed. And this comes from the 576 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 2: twenty four hour War. This is really fascinating to me. 577 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 2: In law, when someone is killed in a car, the 578 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 2: manufacturer was held accountable in those days, so Enzo Ferrari 579 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 2: himself was called before the law and had to plead 580 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:15,240 Speaker 2: his case. He was investigated, but ultimately found innocent because 581 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 2: it was a racing accident and everyone knew what they 582 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 2: were signing up for when they stand on the sidelines 583 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 2: and watch these crazy things. 584 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: And if you see the old footage of these kinds 585 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,320 Speaker 1: of races, you'll notice that the spectators are right next 586 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: to these vehicles. Then they're going at insane curves and certain. 587 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 2: Speeds up over two hundred and fifty miles an hour, 588 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 2: I think top speeds in those days. Nowadays it's mandated 589 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:40,959 Speaker 2: that they can't go that fast. 590 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's true, and it depends upon the race. But 591 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 1: most races now will have pretty stringent safety requirements and 592 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: things still go horribly wrong at times. But when we 593 00:34:55,600 --> 00:35:00,360 Speaker 1: look at Ferrari Lamont, despite the despite the dangerous despite 594 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: the court case, despite the deaths and the injuries and 595 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:08,279 Speaker 1: the catastrophic accidents, Ferrari is dominating, and they're dominating the 596 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: most important race in the world. We shall also say 597 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: that that track they're driving on for twenty four hours 598 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: was at the time eight point four miles long. From 599 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: the fifties to the mid sixties, Ferrari cars were dominating 600 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: the event. Between nineteen fifty eight and nineteen sixty five, 601 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 1: Ferrari vehicles and drivers won seven of the eight races, 602 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: which you know makes them the equivalent of for sports fans. 603 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: Their winning streak is similar to the winning streak of 604 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 1: the New England Patriots or the New York Yankees. Irritating, 605 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: irritating to everyone else. Right, Okay, so we're in nineteen 606 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: sixty four. 607 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,799 Speaker 2: Now here we are. Ford makes its debut of the 608 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 2: g T forty at Leamont. Millions are tuning in. This 609 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 2: is like the battle of the Titans of industry. Like 610 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,439 Speaker 2: we described at the top of the show, crowds were 611 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 2: bigger than they'd ever been. There were three GT forties 612 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 2: in the race, and they were by far the lowest cars. 613 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:08,840 Speaker 2: It was like a design that was not as common. 614 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, these things look like space sally. It's like, 615 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 1: are they supposed to be? 616 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 2: There? 617 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,320 Speaker 1: Is this a race? How the heck are these vehicles 618 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: going to perform against all these tried and true racing 619 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:27,839 Speaker 1: teams that perfected art over decades and spoiler alerts. Not well? 620 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, not well, not well at all, including a fiery explosion. 621 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 2: Luckily no one was killed, but not a single Ford 622 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,280 Speaker 2: got anywhere near the finish line. 623 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:42,279 Speaker 1: No, not at all. It was for a first swing out. 624 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: It was pretty disastrous and it proved a lot of 625 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:52,880 Speaker 1: the skepticism that racing fans had about Ford entering in 626 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: for the first time. Everybody was thinking, Ah, there's no way, 627 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: this is too new. They don't have experience, and this 628 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:00,920 Speaker 1: is aerous endeavor. 629 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 2: So two Ford two was understandably livid, and he was like, 630 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,359 Speaker 2: We're going to make whatever changes we have to make 631 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,439 Speaker 2: to beat that sexy, sexy Italian man. 632 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: And so those are my words. Notice, well, I think 633 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: it's a good paraphrase. That quote was based on a 634 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:22,760 Speaker 1: true story. So here we go. There's you know, again 635 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 1: such anger and vim from Ford two, and he says, 636 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:31,520 Speaker 1: you know what, I need more experts. I need more 637 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:37,000 Speaker 1: people to help me in my vendetta. So he finds 638 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 1: some more folks to help them, and one of them 639 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: is the legendary Carol Shelby. 640 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,240 Speaker 2: He is probably the most important other player in this story. 641 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:48,239 Speaker 2: Shelby drove in some of the first races in American 642 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 2: history in Watkins Glen, New York. There's a story in 643 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,640 Speaker 2: that he tells himself in the Twenty four Hour War. 644 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 2: He says he got his license when he was fourteen 645 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,040 Speaker 2: and immediately got pulled over by the police for driving 646 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 2: his father's thirty four Dodge eighty five miles an hour, 647 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 2: which would have been an insane speed for that car, 648 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 2: right Ben. 649 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely no, And you can find a pretty interesting 650 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: argument for this in another book called Go Like hell 651 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: Ford Ferrari. In their Battle for Speed and Glory at Lamon, 652 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: when they got Carol Shelby on the team, it was 653 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 1: kind of like when the Avengers got thor or something, 654 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: someone with honest superpowers, and they began working with him. 655 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,280 Speaker 1: Don Fries still in the mix, as was Leo Biebe, 656 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: and they said, you know what, Shelby is going to 657 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 1: take the lessons from our less than awesome performance and 658 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: show us how to make this something that isn't dismal. 659 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: So they handed the program over to Shelby. After a 660 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:55,719 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four Nasau race, they sent the cars directly 661 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: to Shelby. Like they didn't even wash them, dude, they 662 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 1: were still dirty. And they were like, all right, he's in, 663 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 1: just send them, now send him send them. Well. 664 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:05,879 Speaker 2: Shelby was a really punchy character too. He actually won 665 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:09,280 Speaker 2: Lamar as a racer in fifty nine despite having serious 666 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 2: health problems. He had a heart condition and is said 667 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:15,320 Speaker 2: to have raced with a nitroglycerine tablet under his tongue. 668 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:17,919 Speaker 2: And then he went on and actually got support from 669 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 2: Ford to build his own after he retired from racing, 670 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 2: to build his own sports cars. So he went to 671 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 2: Lee Iacocca, who was a big time executive, and pitched 672 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 2: him on this idea of making American sports cars a coca. 673 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:32,680 Speaker 2: It sounded like he wanted to get rid of him, 674 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 2: so he gave him a few engines and some money 675 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 2: and said, do your thing. And they made this car 676 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 2: called the Cobra, with this team of kind of ragtag 677 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 2: team of folks from across all over the place, like 678 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 2: he had experts, hot rod experts from all over the world, 679 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 2: and it performed. They did well at all of the 680 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 2: big races, and they won Lamon in nineteen sixty four 681 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 2: with the model of this Cobrad. They called the Daytona 682 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 2: Coup because they had made it specifically for Daytona. But 683 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 2: that is when Ford was like, Okay, I like this kid. 684 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 2: I like the cut of his gym. I like the 685 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 2: cut of his bib overalls, which he apparently wore a lot. 686 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 1: And a dream team was born. Yes, the dream team 687 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:15,840 Speaker 1: was born. And he also had a common villain in 688 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 1: Enzo Ferrari because Shelby, you see, also was not a 689 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: fan of Ferrari, or at least Ferrari hated him because 690 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,440 Speaker 1: Ferrari had been beaten by Shelby at Lamont in nineteen 691 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 1: fifty nine when Shelby was driving for Aston Martin. 692 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 2: He tried to recruit him as well to drive for him. 693 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:39,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Shelby said, nah, again, this is another cantankerous guy. 694 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: Shelby often complained to Ford that the cars were terribly maintained. 695 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,239 Speaker 1: Sort of what am I supposed to do with this situation? 696 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:53,320 Speaker 1: So in nineteen sixty five they were there at Lamont 697 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 1: driving a new version of the GT forty called the 698 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 1: Mark two, and they started out doing really well. People thought, hey, 699 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:08,239 Speaker 1: this might change the racing game. But again, over that 700 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,240 Speaker 1: twenty four hour period all of their cars were forced 701 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 1: out of the race by mechanical bugs. 702 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:14,920 Speaker 2: I think there was even a story where one of 703 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 2: the racers had to push his. 704 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:17,320 Speaker 1: Car for a few miles. 705 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:19,880 Speaker 2: And I think there was even a thing where Ford 706 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 2: the last minute insisted they switch out the engines to 707 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 2: a newer engine that they had done, and that last 708 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 2: minute shuffle kind of screwed them over a little bit. 709 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 2: And maybe caused some of those mechanical failure. I think 710 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,719 Speaker 2: there was an issue of bolts that had expanded and 711 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,279 Speaker 2: cracked and just caused some problems because of that last 712 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 2: minute switch, right. 713 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 1: And we should also say nineteen sixty five it's the 714 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,719 Speaker 1: same year that Ford showed off these gts that they 715 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,320 Speaker 1: would later use in Lamon, and even the Ford company 716 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,680 Speaker 1: wasn't able to estimate how much they cost. They like 717 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:52,680 Speaker 1: didn't know. Yeah. 718 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 2: I saw an article on Thrillists that used the phrase 719 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:58,640 Speaker 2: a budget of roughly infinity. 720 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, say which will about Ford to two? He 721 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 1: was serious when he was beefed up. So they don't 722 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: take this punch on the chin lightly. They come back 723 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: the very next year and they have fixed these various problems. 724 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: They've taken the lessons learned, and they come back with 725 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:25,239 Speaker 1: even better cars. And nineteen sixty six is when everything 726 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:29,160 Speaker 1: changes for Ford, Lamal Ferrari and the world. 727 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, because they decided they had to kind of think 728 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 2: about the problem differently, and they abandon the smaller engines 729 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 2: in favor of what has become termed as big block 730 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 2: cars because they needed more horsepower and that was how 731 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:47,400 Speaker 2: they would get the edge on the zippy light smaller 732 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:48,799 Speaker 2: engined set of thing. 733 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:54,359 Speaker 1: Ferraris, Yeah, so they did institute the big block. That's 734 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: absolutely correct, and they had some experience leading up to 735 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:04,399 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six Lamon because they won the twenty four 736 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 1: Hours of Daytona and the twelve Hours of Spring before 737 00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:12,759 Speaker 1: with this big block Ford that Noel just mentioned. They 738 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:16,360 Speaker 1: also sent a lot of cars. They sent eight gto 739 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:21,480 Speaker 1: Mark twos with three teams, three teams by Shelby American, 740 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:23,839 Speaker 1: three teams by home In and Moody, and two by 741 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: Alan Mann Racing. So again we're seeing that Ford is 742 00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:32,960 Speaker 1: pulling in the expertise of these pre existing racing geniuses. Ferrari, 743 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:38,520 Speaker 1: in contrast, only sent I think two Ferrari three thirty 744 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:43,040 Speaker 1: P three's to compete, and that was sent by them directly. 745 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,680 Speaker 1: There was an outfit called Nart that entered another P three, 746 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 1: and then there were four cars entered by Ferrari's private partners. 747 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:53,319 Speaker 1: They were going to have John Surtees racing with them, 748 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:57,080 Speaker 1: but surprise he had I'm doing air quotes here, No 749 00:43:57,120 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: only he had a falling out with Ferrari. Man. So 750 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:05,879 Speaker 1: it sounds like inso got in another argument of some sort. 751 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:12,480 Speaker 1: So this race is insane, and behind the scenes, Ford 752 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,479 Speaker 1: is so certain that they're going to win that they 753 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: tell two of their drivers that they think are going 754 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: to be in the front lines. They tell them that 755 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:22,440 Speaker 1: they want them to finish at the same time. 756 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 2: And that's to drive home the fact that it was 757 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:29,560 Speaker 2: the car and not necessarily the drivers that accounted for 758 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:30,720 Speaker 2: the victory. 759 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:32,600 Speaker 1: Right because drivers, as you can imagine, might have a 760 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:35,239 Speaker 1: bit of ego. So they said, yeah, we want to 761 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: show that it is the superiority of us as manufacturers, 762 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:42,240 Speaker 1: not just the individuals behind the wheel. 763 00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 2: Should we play a clip from that stunning conclusion? 764 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:45,680 Speaker 1: Fantastic? 765 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:51,080 Speaker 4: And here they come for the finish first place, the 766 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:55,600 Speaker 4: number two for GT second place, the number one for 767 00:44:55,880 --> 00:45:02,720 Speaker 4: GT third place, the number five four GT an authoritative 768 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:04,719 Speaker 4: win for the American Challengers. 769 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 1: So not only does four take first place in this event, 770 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:12,680 Speaker 1: but they also. 771 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 2: Take second and third, right, second and third. 772 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:20,240 Speaker 1: The number two for g T forty takes first place, 773 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,360 Speaker 1: the number one takes second place, and the number five 774 00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:28,240 Speaker 1: takes third place. And this is one of those moments 775 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: in history where you have to wonder what Enzo Ferrari's 776 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: face looked like. 777 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 2: There's probably a bit of a scowl. 778 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, it probably wasn't a big cheese eating grin. 779 00:45:41,239 --> 00:45:43,239 Speaker 2: He always looked a little demiere. I wonder if you 780 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:44,680 Speaker 2: ever changed his expression much. 781 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:46,839 Speaker 1: Yeah. You know, he's a guy who had a lot 782 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,239 Speaker 1: on his mind, and I know we're dinging him a 783 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: little bit, but we we want to again highlight that 784 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:57,719 Speaker 1: there's not really a bad guy in this story. It's 785 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:02,360 Speaker 1: just two people who really hated each other and because 786 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 1: of their enmity, because they were so beefed up, they 787 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,080 Speaker 1: managed to make a beautiful car that changed the world. 788 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 2: And in the documentary, Ferrari's son has a pretty chill 789 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 2: attitude about the whole thing and has some really nice 790 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:17,440 Speaker 2: things to say about Ford and very even hand that 791 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:19,839 Speaker 2: with this thinking about this, So then the next year, 792 00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:24,480 Speaker 2: of course, Ford returns to Lamont and adding insult to injury, 793 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:29,359 Speaker 2: wipes the floor with Ferrari yet again, with wins in first, second, 794 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 2: and third place once again. 795 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,800 Speaker 1: Yeah m hmm, yep, absolutely, they mop up once again. 796 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:41,680 Speaker 1: And this changes the concept of who can win a 797 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:47,480 Speaker 1: race globally. Also, it creates a new model, so the 798 00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:51,120 Speaker 1: same kind of innovation in terms of assembly and distribution 799 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:54,680 Speaker 1: and output that the original Ford Company had building the 800 00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: Model T in the Model A is still going strong 801 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:04,239 Speaker 1: in Ford in the sixties here because they have unveiled 802 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,680 Speaker 1: a new model for manufacturers and the model is providing 803 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 1: money and internal research and design while farming out the 804 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:16,000 Speaker 1: actual racing to the professionals. This didn't just change the 805 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,880 Speaker 1: operations at Laman, but also changed the operations in Formula one, 806 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 1: NASCAR other world famous racing events. And additionally, this is 807 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 1: something that stayed with Ford as a manufacturer because in 808 00:47:29,719 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 1: two thousand and sixteen, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary, they 809 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:38,480 Speaker 1: attempted to execute the same sort of coup and they 810 00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:41,040 Speaker 1: more or less did they more or lested they didn't win. 811 00:47:42,239 --> 00:47:47,040 Speaker 1: Porsche won that year, and Porsche has been dominating a 812 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:50,040 Speaker 1: lot of lamon so they didn't win, but they did 813 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:55,160 Speaker 1: come back and they tried to take some of the 814 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: innovations that they have in their street level cars and 815 00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:00,399 Speaker 1: make a racing car out of them. So the he's 816 00:48:00,440 --> 00:48:03,759 Speaker 1: an eco boost engine, which was a little bit smaller too, 817 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: and well, you know. 818 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:08,880 Speaker 2: Well, and I would say the takeaway here for me 819 00:48:09,360 --> 00:48:14,480 Speaker 2: is that Ford was kind of a big, fat baby, honestly, 820 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:18,120 Speaker 2: you know, because Ferrari was doing Lamon since the beginning 821 00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 2: and continue doing it in that fifty year span where 822 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 2: Ford was not, and they only came back to kind 823 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,200 Speaker 2: of thumb their nose at their old rivals again. So 824 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 2: it was like, you know, Ford two wanted to make 825 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:35,360 Speaker 2: a point and he did it, and then he was 826 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:36,520 Speaker 2: kind of I'm out. 827 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:37,400 Speaker 1: So I don't know. 828 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 2: I would argue, it's a little childish. 829 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 1: He's just not the kind of guy I would want 830 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:44,239 Speaker 1: to play Monopoly or cards with, you know what I mean. 831 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:46,080 Speaker 1: I think we have a Rukasolt kind of figure. He 832 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:50,799 Speaker 1: could take Uno real hard. But this concludes one of 833 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:55,080 Speaker 1: the one of the most ridiculous stories of pettiness and 834 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:57,920 Speaker 1: spitefulness in racing. And I would argue that it has 835 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:01,520 Speaker 1: a happy ending because the Ford GT is a beautiful vehicle. 836 00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:04,680 Speaker 2: Cool car, cool car, cool car, and Ferraris are still 837 00:49:04,719 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 2: too expensive for anyone to o't right. 838 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:09,959 Speaker 1: Right, we do have someone in our building who owns 839 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:12,359 Speaker 1: a Ferrari. I used to sneak up and look at it. 840 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:16,279 Speaker 1: Quick story. I was on an emotional roller coaster NOL. 841 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:18,680 Speaker 1: I couldn't decide if I liked the guy because one 842 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:20,720 Speaker 1: time I went up there and he was double parked 843 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,279 Speaker 1: in a parking spot. Nope, And I thought, I get it, man, 844 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:27,799 Speaker 1: that don't you know, don't don't buy the car. So 845 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:32,040 Speaker 1: I did some investigation and Scott car Stuff co host 846 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:34,040 Speaker 1: did some as well. And it turns out the guy's 847 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:37,040 Speaker 1: paying for both parking spots, so he's an ethical double parker. 848 00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:40,680 Speaker 2: Oh oh my gosh, we've got a double happy ending here. 849 00:49:40,920 --> 00:49:42,040 Speaker 1: We did. We did. 850 00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:43,239 Speaker 2: Let us know your. 851 00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:44,480 Speaker 1: Position on double parking. 852 00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:48,080 Speaker 2: Let us know if there are any particular car brands 853 00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:50,360 Speaker 2: that when you see them on the road, you immediately 854 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,719 Speaker 2: despise the owner. Ben, I believe for you that is 855 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:55,600 Speaker 2: the Odyssey, the Honda Odyssey, right, that still whole true. 856 00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:58,759 Speaker 1: Well, the thing about Honda Odyssey is, I think when 857 00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:02,399 Speaker 1: you buy it, the dealers give you a discount if 858 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,839 Speaker 1: you agree to have a sensor install that makes your 859 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:08,800 Speaker 1: car go twenty miles an hour whenever I'm in traffic 860 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:09,080 Speaker 1: with it. 861 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:11,719 Speaker 2: Yep, yeah, that's probably true. 862 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:17,280 Speaker 3: Let us ridiculous at HowStuffWorks dot com, social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, 863 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:20,719 Speaker 3: ridiculous history blasting through these because this was a long one, 864 00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:23,480 Speaker 3: but thanks to super producer Casey. 865 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:27,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks to Alex Williams who composed the track. Thanks 866 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:31,400 Speaker 1: to entry Ford, to an Enzo Ferrari, and most importantly, 867 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:34,719 Speaker 1: thanks to you, folks, and we hope you join us 868 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:38,640 Speaker 1: next time when Nol and I are using our world 869 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 1: famous time machine to travel to the wild West. 870 00:50:43,800 --> 00:51:04,160 Speaker 2: Get along, little doggies. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 871 00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:07,319 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 872 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:08,280 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.