Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans

Editorial Reviews
From 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, œthe 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 œagitator 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)
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Review
"All I can say is: Wow! Go Like Hell drops you right smack in the middle an intense and ferocious battle between Ford and Ferrari in the 1960s. Baime's exceptional voice puts the reader into minds of the drivers, designers, and executives who formed the Golden Age of racing; his fantastic descriptions allow the reader to feel the pounding of the cylinders. If you like cars—nay, if you have ever seen a car—you must read this book!"
—Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

"Light up a Lucky Strike. Pour yourself a good stiff drink. Go Like Hell is a wonder, chock-a-block with great heroes and villains, a pedal-to-the metal account of greed and gumption, a chronicle of obsession and vain glory. Don't worry about that seat belt. Just go for the ride."
—Leigh Montville, author of The Big Bam, Ted Williams and At the Altar of Speed

"Go Like Hell is an epic. Ambitions, lives, fortunes, friendships, and a place in history--all are on the line here. A.J. Baime marvelously reveals the people behind the machines."
—Neal Bascomb, author of The Perfect Mile and Hunting Eichmann

"Mix sport, death and big business, the biggest. Throw in vivid portraits of Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II, and the drivers, men obsessed with speed and fast cars while trying not to get killed. Go Like Hell is a very hard book to put down. Sharp and suspenseful from beginning to end."
—Robert Daley, author of The Cruel Sport and Year of the Dragon


Product Description
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.

Go Like Hell tells the remarkable story of how Henry Ford II, with the help of a young visionary named Lee Iacocca and a former racing champion turned engineer, Carroll Shelby, concocted a scheme to reinvent the Ford company. They would enter the high-stakes world of European car racing, where an adventurous few threw safety and sanity to the wind. They would design, build, and race a car that could beat Ferrari at his own game at the most prestigious and brutal race in the world, something no American car had ever done.

Go Like Hell transports readers to a risk-filled, glorious time in this brilliant portrait of a rivalry between two industrialists, the cars they built, and the "pilots" who would drive them to victory, or doom.



About the Author
A. J. BAIME is an executive editor at Playboy, where he oversees the automotive and various feature sections. He has written for numerous publications, such as the New York Times Magazine, Spin, Popular Science, Maxim, and the Village Voice. Film rights to Go Like Hell were recently optioned by 20th Century Fox in a major deal.