Henry Ford II
[Henry Ford II enters the assembly plant.]
Shut it down, Mr. Beebe
Leo Beebe
[Leo Beebe turns around and faces the head engineer.]
John!
Henry Ford II
[The head engineer nods and shuts down the assembly line.]
Hear that? That's the sound of the Ford Motor Company out of business.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II walks around the plant.]
In 1899, my grandfather, Henry "By God" Ford, was walking home from Edison Illumination after working a double shift. He was ruminating. That morning, he had himself an idea that changed the world. Sixty-five years, and 47 million automobiles later, what shall be his legacy? Getting it in the tail pipe from a Chevy Impala!
Henry Ford II
[Some of the workers chuckle.]
Here's what I want you to do. Walk home.
Henry Ford II
[The workers suddenly go silent.]
While you're walking, I want you to ruminate. Man comes to my office with an idea, that man keeps his job. Rest of you, second-best losers... stay home. You don't belong at Ford.
Leo Beebe
[Henry II reads the newspaper headline of Fiat buying Ferrari before dropping the paper and picking up his glass to pour a drink.]
He played us. Old Man Enzo had no intention of selling to us. He used us to up his price, embarrass our company and insult your leadership. It was a bad idea from the start.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II approaches the executives that went to Italy]
What exactly did he say?
Lee Iacocca
[Henry II takes a sip.]
He said Ford makes ugly little cars, and we make 'em... in an ugly factory. He said our executives are sons of whores.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II approaches Iacocca]
About me.
Lee Iacocca
He called you fat, sir. Pigheaded.
Henry Ford II
Go on.
Lee Iacocca
He said you're not Henry Ford. You're Henry Ford II.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II stares at Iacocca before walking back to his desk.]
I want the best engineers. The best drivers. I don't care what it costs. We're gonna build a race car...
Henry Ford II
[Henry II puts down his glass]
And we're gonna bury that goddamn greasy wop 100 feet deep under the finish line at Le Mans. And I will be there to watch it.
[Carroll Shelby enters Henry Ford II's office while a secretary hands Henry II a red folder.]
]
Carroll Shelby
Mr. Ford. Gentlemen.
Henry Ford II
Shelby.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II signals for Shelby to move to the couch near him.]
Give me one reason why I don't fire everyone associated with this abomination starting with you.
Carroll Shelby
[Leo Beebe picks up the folder.]
Well, sir... I was thinking about that very question as I sat out there in your lovely waiting room.
Carroll Shelby
[Shelby sits down.]
As I was sitting there... I watched that little red folder right there go through four pairs of hands... before it got to you. 'Course that doesn't include the 22 or so other Ford employees who probably poked at it before it made its way up to the 19th floor. All due respect, sir, you can't win a race by committee. You need one man in charge. Now, the good news, as I see it, is that even with all the extra weight, we still manage to put old Mr. Ferrari exactly where we want him.
Henry Ford II
Did we?
Carroll Shelby
Oh, yes.
Henry Ford II
Expand.
Carroll Shelby
Well... sure, we hadn't... We haven't worked out how to corner yet. Or stay cool. Or stay on the ground. And a lot of stuff broke. In fact, the only thing that didn't break was the brakes. Hell, right now, we don't even know if our paint job will last the whole 24 hours.
Carroll Shelby
[Pause.]
But our last lap... we clocked 218 miles an hour down the Mulsanne Straight. Now, in all his years of racing... old Enzo ain't never seen anything move that fast. And now he knows, without a doubt, we're faster than he is. Even with the wrong driver... and all the committees. And that's what he's thinking about while he's sitting in Modena, Italy, right now. That man is scared to death... that this year, you actually might be smart enough to start trusting me. So, yeah. I say you got Ferrari exactly where you want him. You're welcome.
Henry Ford II
[Henry II looks at Shelby. He then gets up and grabs the folder from Beebe before walking towards the office windows.]
Come here.
Henry Ford II
[Shelby approaches Henry II.]
See that little building down there? In World War II, three out of five U.S. bombers rolled off that line. You think Roosevelt beat Hitler? Think again. This isn't the first time Ford Motor's gone to war in Europe. We know how to do more than push paper. And there is one man running this company. You report to him. You understand me?
Carroll Shelby
Yes, sir.
Henry Ford II
Go ahead, Carroll. Go to war.
Carroll Shelby
Thank you, sir.
Carroll Shelby
[about to take Ford on a drive in the GT40]
You ready?
Henry Ford II
The name on the middle of that steering wheel should tell you that I was born ready, Shelby. Hit it.
Carroll Shelby
Attaboy.
Henry Ford II
[Shelby proceeds to drive the GT40 with a fast acceleration]
Woah! It's got a little...kick. Doesn't it?
Henry Ford II
[Shelby continues to accelerate and drive the GT40 faster and faster through the course]
Woah! Oh my God...oh my God! [Shelby accelerates faster] Yeahhhh, baby!
Carroll Shelby
[Shelby weaves faster around cones, then finally spins to a stop. Ford frantically pants then starts openly crying]
...Mr. Ford...you okay? Mr. Ford, you alright?
Henry Ford II
[through sobs]
I had no idea...I had no idea. I wish my daddy...he were alive to see this...to feel this.
Carroll Shelby
Now, this is not a machine just anybody can get in and easily control.
Henry Ford II
[still gently sobbing]
Absolutely not. I had no idea.
Carroll Shelby
Now, you wanna win Le Mans, if you really wanna take first place, Ken Miles is the man to do it. [Ford finally calms down] Now he knows this car, because he helped me build it.
Henry Ford II
Shelby, you know I've already appointed Leo Beebe Director of Racing.
Carroll Shelby
Which is exactly why I'm talking to you. Now, you let Ken Miles race at Daytona. If he wins, he gets to drive Le Mans.
Henry Ford II
And if he doesn't?
Carroll Shelby
Ford Motor Company gets full ownership of Shelby American. Lock, stock, and brand...forever.
