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Cobra Ferrari Wars - BBC 4 Monday June 17th


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#1 Vitesse2

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Posted 13 June 2002 - 20:54

In 1959 Carroll Shelby, a Texas cowboy, chicken farmer and Aston Martin racing driver, achieved the unimaginable and beat Ferrari at Le Mans.

For Shelby the victory was a personal one, the culmination of a decade of hard work in Europe racing against the previously undefeated Enzo Ferrari, a man whose imperious manner had rubbed Shelby up the wrong way.

With the arrival of the new Ferrari GTO and Shelby's retirement from driving, it seemed as if Ferrari's return to total dominance at Le Mans was assured, but Shelby wasn't done yet. He had a dream - he'd build his own car and team and return to Europe. And so began the Cobra Ferrari wars.

British director Richard Symons has spent over four years researching, filming and compiling unique, never-before-seen footage of this dramatic era in motor racing history. The Cobra Ferrari Wars documentary is produced to recapture the spirit of the 60's in it's racing action, soundtrack and graphics and is a compelling tale of courage and dogged determination that will be shown on BBC television this summer.

The unique footage tells the story of how self-belief and circumstances combine to propel a bunch of Southern Californian hot rodders and their charismatic leader against incredible odds to wage war in Europe and give Enzo Ferrari the hiding of his life.

From an idea and just one employee, Shelby's three year roller coaster ride sees him go on to make some of the most desirable cars on the planet (the Cobra, the Shelby Mustangs and the GT40), grow to 800 employees across 5 racing teams, and ultimately to beat Enzo Ferrari and the European establishment on its own stomping ground - Le Mans.

For petrolheads and those intrigued by this titanic David and Goliath struggle The Cobra Ferrari Wars makes compelling viewing. The programme will be shown first on BBC4 Digital on Monday June 17 at 9.00pm (following the Le Mans racing weekend), and will migrate to BBC national TV soon after. Check local TV listings this summer for actual broadcast times.


Tough luck on those of you who don't have digital TV yet :p , but it's the first thing I've seen on BBC 4 that I actually want to watch!

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#2 Breadmaster

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Posted 14 June 2002 - 09:11

make sure you record it then, get someone to digitize it and then find some webspace so we can all download it!

cheers in advance! :wave: :up:

#3 Doug Nye

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Posted 14 June 2002 - 11:37

I hope it's going to be all right because Rich Symons based it more on less on the 'Cobra Ferrari Wars' book title which is fine, and a darned good book too, I thought, but it doesn't quite reflect what actually seemed important at the time - which was the 'Ford Ferrari War' - Ford GTs and Mark IIs against Ferrari prototypes for outright victory, rather than agricultural Grand Touring class Cobras against contemporarily slightly dull looking GTOs. These GT Category cars only gained their real gloss in hindsight. When I spelled this out to Rich - who seems a v. good guy with his heart absolutely in the right place - he said "Yes, OK - but that's not what the TV programmers want...we've got to make it look as if this was the core of the entire operation...the most important thing in the racing world...".

Oh. OK then.

DCN

#4 Garagiste

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Posted 14 June 2002 - 12:40

I knew my itv digital box would be of use again eventually! :)

#5 David McKinney

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Posted 14 June 2002 - 13:40

The film maker's views are reflected in a Mark Hales piece in today's London Evening Standard. I read right through looking for references to the Ford Ferrari wars...

#6 VAR1016

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Posted 14 June 2002 - 22:35

Of course the history tells the story, but no Cobra or GT40 ever sounded as good as a screaming Ferrari.

I was reminded of this watching John Surtees lap Goodwood a couple of years ago. He was driving a 275LM and qualified it at 1:27.5.

The sound of that car will stay with me until I run of petrol - permanently

VAR1016 :smoking:

#7 MrAerodynamicist

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Posted 04 May 2003 - 21:51

Just to let everyone know, it's being shown on BBC2 on tuesday.

#8 Martin Roessler

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Posted 04 May 2003 - 22:45

:cry: is there any chance of getting a copy sent out into the dark bush where i am living??
(just next to the waterfalls that are going down the edge of the world)
of course i'd pay postage etc...maybe swap for something i have... :)
cheers Marty

#9 Alan Lewis

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Posted 06 May 2003 - 20:39

This is being repeated on BBC 2 tonight from 1120 to 1225 BST.

It was supposed to be on a month or so ago but The War meant it got replaced by an edition of Panorama .

I know it's short notice, and apologies for that, but I only just spotted it in the paper myself and it might be useful for anyone in the UK and environs, who hasn't seen it...and wants to...and is currently on TNF.

APL

#10 MrAerodynamicist

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Posted 09 February 2006 - 21:49

In case there's anyone that still hasn't seen it, Cobra Ferrari Wars is being repeated on BBC Four on tuesday at 1:10am (read: early hours of wednesday)

#11 flat-16

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Posted 10 February 2006 - 00:23

Call me a heretic, but am I the only one here that felt a tad underwhelmed by the documentary - Robbie Coltrane's narration in particular?

It's definitely worth watching for the footage, but aside from that I found it a tad plodding, not mention the omission of other "rivalries" from the time...

Justin

#12 bradbury west

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Posted 10 February 2006 - 10:00

Originally posted by VAR1016
Of course the history tells the story, but no Cobra or GT40 ever sounded as good as a screaming Ferrari.

I was reminded of this watching John Surtees lap Goodwood a couple of years ago. He was driving a 275LM and qualified it at 1:27.5.

The sound of that car will stay with me until I run of petrol - permanently

VAR1016 :smoking:




Fond memories indeed.

I was in the Woodcote stand as Il Grande Giovanni hurled Piper's car round in the last 15 mins of practice on an almost empty track.

The body language of that 250, and the inevitable wail of what was rumoured to be a freshly rebuilt motor, as he nailed it round everywhere, followed on the diamond screens, was awesome indeed.

A true masterclass by a true master. It is interesting to see how very few of the other TT Race cars, whether to original spec and engine power or benefitting from the euphemism " continuous development", and driven by all the various period "hot shoes", have achieved a time anywhere near that, or indeed of the pre 65 times for the cars.

Apparently on race day, when he did the first stint, he could not remember the technique for a fats start, so he just dropped the clutch with 6,000rpm on the clock. Seemed to do the business.

BTW, ref another recent thread,

Who needs replicas, of cars or drivers, when the real thing is still so unsurpassably excellent???

I must declare a double bias for both Surtees and the 250LM


Roger Lund.

#13 VAR1016

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Posted 10 February 2006 - 18:26

Originally posted by bradbury west




Fond memories indeed. [...]


A true masterclass by a true master. It is interesting to see how very few of the other TT Race cars, whether to original spec and engine power or benefitting from the euphemism " continuous development", and driven by all the various period "hot shoes", have achieved a time anywhere near that, or indeed of the pre 65 times for the cars.[...]


Roger Lund.


Yes, someone told me that in the TT about 1962, Graham Hill averaged 1:32 for hours including a stop for fuel. He was driving a 250GTO.

PdeRL