Artist Note

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          Many individuals have heard of the famous car companies Ford and Ferrari, but few know about their rivalry. Ford's GT40 raced against Ferrari's 330 Ps24 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. I wanted to portray what a poster would have looked like advertising the race for Ford and Ferrari. Looking at many French signs of the time, I found that a white trim was very traditional, and in many cases, the fonts would change depending on the importance of the wording. The location did not have to be dead center either, many posters and flyers included words and phrases that were scattered among the page. I originally drafted a few ideas for the sign with the faces of Henry Ford the II and Enzo Ferrari, but decided that I wanted to grasp the time zone: I wanted the poster to be as if you were looking at it in Paris, from the street, during the 1960s. To do just that, I instead looked at a photograph of the 24 Hours of Le Mans of the professional drivers running to their vehicles just before the race began and used mediums of paint and pencil to express that moment. Though during that time, bright colors were in, so I chose a color scheme that both gave that illuminating color and shades that complimented each other. The art portrayed in the 1960s also took more of a cartoon or sketching style, which I decided to take on in this piece. The piece was sketched, partly sharpened, and painted with acrylic paints. If you look closely, you will notice the texture created by the layering of the pigments. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The rivalry between Henry Ford and Ferrari 

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          The Ford and Ferrari rivalry in the 1960s is a well-known and captivating story in motorsports. The feud between the two automotive giants began when Henry Ford II attempted to purchase the Ferrari, but negotiations fell apart, leading to a bitter rivalry between the two companies (Murray). 

          To beat Ferrari at their own game, Ford embarked on an ambitious project to build a car that could win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Man's race in France. The Ford GT40, designed by racing legends Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, was a powerful race car developed to take on the Ferrari 330 P3 ("Ford GT40."). 

          Ford made several attempts to win Le Mans before finally succeeding in 1966. In a stunning upset, the Ford GT40 took the top three spots in the race, beating Ferrari and making the beginning of Ford's dominance in endurance racing ("Ford GT40"). 

          Despite Ford's victory, the rivalry between the two companies continued on and off the track for many years. Both Ford and Ferrari continued to develop faster and more advanced race cars, pushing the limits of what was possible in the world of racing (Baime Introduction). 

          Overall, the Ford and Ferrari rivalry is an enthralling story that continues to captivate racing fans worldwide. The battles between these two renowned men helped to push the boundaries of racing and create some of the most memorable moments in history.

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Bibliography 

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Baime, Anothony. Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. United States, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Google Books.

 

“Ford GT40: 1969 Le Mans Winner: 1:8 Scale Model.” Motor Sport Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022.

 

Murray, Sean. “Ford v. Ferrari Trailer Showcases Ford's Arrival as Four-Time Le Mans Champions.” HotCars, 4 June 2019.

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