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Cobra Ferrari Wars

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Factual: Cars & Motors

Factual: History

17/06/2002

BBC Four - Cobra Ferrari Wars

How racing driver Carroll Shelby won Le Mans in 1959 and developed the famous Cobra car.

Documentary telling the story of Texan racing driver Carroll Shelby, who won Le Mans in 1959 and later developed the famous Cobra, a car designed to take on the might of Ferrari.

The date is 1959. The place is Le Mans racing circuit, France. A little known Texan racing driver, Carrol Shelby, wins the most prestigious event in motor racing at his first attempt and is universally acclaimed as one of the best drivers in the world. 

But Shelby had a secret that was to prevent him ever driving again.

This is the comeback story of a man driven by the desire to beat the world on the race track, and specifically to beat the might of motor racing, Ferrari. From his base in California with only a team of hot rodders for support, in three years Shelby put together a car that would take on the world and win. The Shelby Cobra, as it was known, is still an automotive icon today. 

Featuring a great 60s soundtrack and using true-to-the-period split screen effects, this film is for car fans and casual viewers alike.

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