The Snake and The Stallion

It’s easy to forget that both Carrol Shelby and Enzo Ferrari legitimately earned their credibility by kicking ass on the track in the cars that went on become auto-erotica staples. We mock them or the identities their brands have acquired over the years, but rewind the clock to the mid 60s and the whole story changes.

The Snake and the Stallion, from Spirit Level Films highlights the battle between Shelby et. al. and Ferrari during the 60s, a battle in which no hoon should be without schooling. Beyond that, we really don’t know much more than you do (assuming you already pressed play on the trailer on the frontpage). If anyone out there wants to get us a review copy, drop us a line.

In the meanwhile: Shelby Vs Ferrari, which would you chose and why?

Find it at Spirit Level Films, or Amazon. (Via AutoFiends)

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  1. citroen67 Avatar

    I don't doubt that Shelby had talent on the track, but he is such an arrogant prick that it overshadows the talent portion. I mean, if the guy had it his way…people would get charged a dollar every time they said the name "Shelby".

    1. JeepyJayhawk Avatar

      I agree with the arrogance, but really he made Shelby Cobra the icon it is. Sure there's the usual whoring of the brand, but isn't that what you are supposed to do with IP? On the other hand how much does Ferrari charge for spare parts? Don't they have their own line of signature accessories? (luggage, hats, underwear, genuine Ferrari cock rings?)

      1. citroen67 Avatar

        Yeah, the Ferrari thing is a little over the top as well. I even saw a Ferrari phone somewhere (and who wouldn't want a Ferrari phone, right? Until I saw the price). I guess Shelby just rubs me the wrong way.
        I have this thing where I think that if you are famous, it is most likely somewhat due to a good fan base, and that without them you don't have much past the original talent.
        People that are not at least partially personable with their fans don't deserve to have it.

  2. scroggzilla Avatar

    Usually, this would be the spot where I'd insert a fuck-ton of vintage racing photo goodness. But my Hooniverse-fu is not yet at full strength. So, go the link. Type Cobra or GTO in the search field. Whatever you do after that……..is your own affair.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/scroggzilla/

    1. joshuman Avatar

      You have an amazing collection of images there. I love the nod to safety with a few hay bales in this photo. I think it is an Alfa but it's red and the picture is good enough to show.
      <img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2645/4032155825_7fb5b9ab5c.jpg&quot; style="width: 500px; height: 328px; border: 0" alt="imgTag" />
      I found a Firefox add on called imgTag that makes posting photos an easy right-click, copy, and paste. ” target=”_blank”>https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/14218

    2. Tim Odell Avatar
      Tim Odell

      Where are all of those from?

      1. scroggzilla Avatar

        I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

        1. Tim Odell Avatar
          Tim Odell

          Hmmm…I wonder what this "block IP address" button does…

          1. scroggzilla Avatar

            There's a wonderful continent called Europe, where copyright laws are not as strong as they are in the US. There, they have blogs about cars and racing, and they've got more photo's on them than you can shake 10 sticks at.

  3. joshuman Avatar

    Netflix doesn't have this one in the database either. Damn.

  4. engineerd Avatar

    It was all well and good until the gratuitous velocity trumpet and side pipe shots meant I had to shut it off. I'm at work, and my moanings could be heard by my coworkers. Luckily, I passed it off as just really liking the leftover lasagna from last night.
    Shelby vs. Ferrari to me was always a battle of opposites. Shelby tends to be raw and of the philosophy that any problem can be solved with more horsepower. Enzo, on the other had, seemed to create race cars that were more svelte and, while powerful, focused on the entire package — power, handling, and looks. Just listen to the engine note of a Shelby Daytona/Cobra vs. a Ferrar. The raucous Ford V8 vs. the smooth Ferrari V12.
    Which one would I pick? I'm still not sure.

    1. PFG Avatar
      PFG

      That may have been the case with Ferrari by the mid-60s, but don't forget that in the '50s, Ferrari practically wrote the book on horsepower-uber-alles. A late adapter of discs, for example, his quote regarding brake technology (apocryphal though it may be) was "I build my cars to go, not to stop." Ferrari's first decade worth of sports racers and F1 cars are famous for poor handling (the word "evil" seems to pop up quite often in historical tomes.)

      1. engineerd Avatar

        Good point. It wasn't until he was charged with manslaughter after the '57 Mille Miglia and two of his drivers died in '58 that he realized things had to change. I guess when I think of Shelby vs. Ferrari I think of the '60s since that is when those two madmen of the autostrada were facing off.
        Also, I shouldn't short change Ferrari on the horsepower war. They definitely were not lightweights in the engine output arena, but it always struck me that horsepower was not the only answer as it seemed in the Shelbys.

  5. skitter Avatar

    I tend towards fantastic road cars that also happen to be brilliant race cars. This means I am biased towards Shelby, which has also never taken part in latter day technological blasphemies, and continues to do one thing, and do it well. However, in almost any head to head matchup, 289 Cobra vs. 250 GT Lusso, Series 1 vs. 550 Maranello, I will prefer the Ferrari. So given the choice between Shelby and Ferrari, the answer is clearly Porsche.
    /ducks

    1. Tim Odell Avatar
      Tim Odell

      Not unlike many premier brands, I have a hard time separating Porsche the cars from Porsche the brand/cultural identity.
      To put it another way, I'm not a dentist or dentist's wife.

      1. Texan_Idiot25 Avatar
        Texan_Idiot25

        This is why, as much as I love the newer Porsche's, for just like Chevy and pushrods, have kept with what made their cars unique, and a defining design. In theory, the rear engine is the worst setup to have for a performance car. But, it's unbalance has made it a fast car in the ages. And with new AWD technologies, like modern jet fighters, it can turn this inherent instability into a serious advantage when it comes time to get wild.
        But, I'd go oldschool Porsche if I owned one. A true 356, or a 60s-70s 911. The "if you don't respect me I will put you into the wall" era of them.

        1. Tim Odell Avatar
          Tim Odell

          I'm with you on the classic.
          They're painfully expensive if originality and provenance are important, but lots of fun if they're not.

      2. Fej Avatar

        find it amusing that the only person I know who owns a Porsche owns a construction company. He has two, a 996 and a 'tracked out' 80's Carrera that he races at Thunderhill.
        Also, the only dentist I know personally, has an S2000 and a Lotus Elan…

    2. scroggzilla Avatar

      289 Cobra vs 250 GT Lusso? That's like pitting Chuck Norris vs Cary Grant.

  6. Texan_Idiot25 Avatar
    Texan_Idiot25

    First sentance wasn't complet, as much as I love them for X reason, I'd probably never own one.

  7. Andrea Werries Avatar

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