What it looks like when an automotive icon discusses his hero.
The tale of Ford’s astounding fight with Ferrari on the battlefield of Le Mans has been the stuff of legend since it happened back in the mid 1960’s. Now with the movie "Ford V Ferrari" on the horizon to bring that story to theaters, Jay Leno took time to sit down with the film’s lead start to talk about it. In this new clip from Jay Leno’s Garage, the ever charming Matt Damon sits down to discuss the film, the fantastic cars, and the incomparable man he plays on the silver screen, Carroll Shelby.
If for some reason, you are unfamiliar with the storied rivalry, the basic story is a simple one. After months of negotiation for Ford to buy a chunk of Ferrari, Enzo killed the deal. Henry Ford was so furious he wrote a blank check for Ford to do everything it could to beat Ferrari at the long-running 24 Hours of Le Mans race. It was wild and dangerous endeavor that saw Ford ultimately successful with the GT40 race car.
It’s a fun look at just how invested Jay Leno is into the lore of Carroll Shelby, and it’s nice to see just how much reverence Matt Damon has for the characters and the drivers of the era. Jay Leno also takes the opportunity to recreate the cover photo from the May 1965 issue of Road & Track featuring Carroll Shelby in front of his greatest creations. If you have eight minutes to spare, you won’t be disappointed in checking out this clip from season 5 of Jay Leno’s Garage.
Of course, no episode of Jay Leno’s Garage would be complete without a little driving action, so they end the clip with a small little jaunt in a Shelby Cobra with Damon behind the wheel. Just hearing that thing roar down the road is enough to give this video a quick watch.
If you want you’re curious about the film “Ford v Ferrari,” it features Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as hot show driver and engineer, Ken Miles. It debuts in US theaters just before Thanksgiving on November 15.
