The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images; Twentieth Century Fox
Hailed as one of the masterminds behind Ford Motor Co.'s success, Carroll Hall Shelby's career path was anything but straightforward. As a young man, Shelby took on various jobs, like training incoming pilots in United States Air Force to unsuccessfully running a chicken ranch, before starting what would become a lifelong relationship with Ford.
Once Shelby got a taste of the race-car scene in 1952, he quickly became a star driver for top names like Aston Marton. But when health complications forced him to retire from the tracks, Shelby switched gears and became a car designer.
He opened up his business, Shelby American, where he created the Cobra a car with an American engine that mirrored the sleekness of a European sports vehicle. Ford Motor Co. reached out to Shelby, and the two collaborated to build more innovative cars one of them being the winning GT40 featured in Ford v Ferrari.
But financial concerns and creative differences arose, forcing Shelby to part ways with Ford in 1969, and he went on to work for Dodge. After undergoing a heart transplant in 1990, Shelby reunited with Ford, ending their respite. The designer would go on to work with the company up until his death in 2012.
In an interview with GQ UK, Damon, who plays Shelby, said he was touched by his character's life-long concern for Miles.
"I always found it interesting that every time I stumbled upon a clip on YouTube of Carroll Shelby talking about Ken Miles, he would get choked up a little bit, even as an old man," the actor said. "It would just catch his throat and he'd say something like, 'Ken Miles is a hell of an engineer.' It was quite a loss for all those guys."
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The True Story of 'Ford v Ferrari': How Accurate Are the Characters? - Hollywood Reporter
