Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime

From the Publisher

By the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather’s company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari, whose cars epitomized style, lorded it over the European racing scene. He crafted beautiful sports cars, "science fiction on wheels," but was also called "the Assassin" because so many drivers perished while racing them.

Publishers Weekly

In the 1950s and '60s, the 24 hours of Le Mans in France were not just a race but, according to Playboy editor Baime, "the most magnificent marketing tool the sports car industry had ever known." It was also incredibly dangerous, the site of the biggest tragedy in racing history-Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR slamming into an embankment and leaving at least 75 dead in 1955. Baime's narrative culminates in the 1966 Le Mans race-where Ford cars placed first, second and third-and the fierce competition between Ford and Ferrari. Ford head Henry Ford II realized that in order to compete in the world market, his cars had to win races-and he could accomplish both by winning at Le Mans. Blocking him was the "agitator of men," Enzo Ferrari, who devoted his life to building the perfect champion automobile and who prevented Ford from buying Ferrari in 1963. Both men's quest for victory trickles down to their workers. Henry II spent millions on technology and manpower to build the perfect car, the GT40, while displaying limited patience after years of failure. Meanwhile in Italy, Ferrari's world-class drivers faced their own difficulties pleasing their calculating, results-driven boss. Baime's skillful reporting and introspective writing style make for an insightful portrait of two automobile legends, as well as an exciting account of a bygone era in racing and in American culture. 8-page color insert. (June)

Susan Belsky - Library Journal

Enzo Ferrari and his sports cars dominated racing beginning in 1952; the 1960s brought high speeds and concerns about safety, as drivers and fans were killed in spectacular crashes. Henry Ford II became determined to unseat Ferrari from his position as the premier sports car manufacturer. Baime (Big Shots: The Men Behind the Booze) combines the saga of the heroic drivers with personal stories of the ruthless and canny businessmen who financed the sport. He focuses on the Grand Prix races at Le Mans and includes all the big names: Carroll Shelby, Lee Iacocca, Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, and John Surtees. The author's profiles are not always flattering, but tantalizing insider stories make the legends of the sport sympathetic, e.g., Hill, born into a well-to-do California family, rebuilt his first car at the age of 12, with help from his aunt's butler. VERDICT Baime tells an exciting story at a pace that manages to keep up with the drivers. Racing and automotive enthusiasts will get caught up in the drama of the sport and its colorful personalities.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Kirkus Reviews

Turbo-charged look at the heated race-car rivalry between Ferrari and Ford. In this cultural history, character study and page-turning action-adventure story, Playboy executive editor Baime (Big Shots: The Men Behind the Booze, 2003) focuses on France's 24-hour Le Mans race in the mid-1960s-which doubled as an advertising showcase for Ford and Ferrari to sell cars. This was the international playground where self-promotional genius Enzo Ferrari and the impossibly wealthy, ambitious Henry Ford II could most visibly conduct their battle for supremacy. The two biggest automotive chess masters of the day squared off in something akin to a 20th-century version of The Knight's Tale, where race-car drivers were little more than expendable pawns in their quest for wealth and global domination. Baime covers the golden-era years from 1964 to 1966, when a culture of youth and speed ruled and car racing was still considered a gentleman's sport. In the author's capable hands, the controversial 1966 Le Mans race makes for the ideal climactic centerpiece. The furious narrative pace never lets up, with facile but effective tension-building transitions between each chapter. Baime also provides ample historical and biographical context for nearly everyone involved-not just the big shots Ford and Ferrari, but also the steel-nerved drivers and invaluable pit crews. These included Ferrari's seemingly indestructible champion John Surtees, the perennial underdog driver Phil Hill and Ford's mechanical mastermind Carroll Shelby. Baime's rich descriptions of the cars-including the muscular Shelby Cobra and the curvy, sexy Ferrari-lift them to near-human proportions. The ultimate speed-readAuthor tour to NewYork, Detroit, Los Angeles

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