Movies and documentaries for petrolheads – Vol.1

Written by: Ivan Santamaria (RS: @gasandroads)

Le Mans (1971)

Starring “The King of Cool,” Steve McQueen, who plays Michael Delaney, a 24-hour Le Mans driver aboard the well-known Porsche 917K Gulf.

This is a 108-minute film with very little dialogue, but a whole lot of action. It takes place in a racing environment that transports you back in time to relive the golden years of the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Steve McQueen: The man & Le Mans

If you have seen Le Mans and want to know what happened behind the scenes, don’t miss this documentary. It reveals many unpublished images, and thanks to the help of Steve’s son, Chad McQueen, we get to know details of the filming that will surely leave you speechless.

Le Mans and The man & Le Mans, a perfect plan for a weekend!

Rush

Exciting from start to finish, this movie will keep you glued to the couch. One of the greatest racing movies of recent years, where the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt playing the protagonist, we get an up-close and person view into the lives of both drivers. All of this accompanied by great videography and a soundtrack that you cannot miss.

Have you seen it yet? Add it to your list!

SENNA

I am afraid that with this documentary I will not discover anything new, I think that every motoring lover has seen it.

From the first minute this documentary hooks you like few others. The documentary tells us from the beginnings of the pilot, going through his best days as a pilot, where he became a national hero, until his tragic end, all of this with much unpublished material to date, collected from files of both the family and of world television.

If you haven’t seen it, What are you waiting for?

Days of thunder

If you like the world of NASCAR, this is your movie. Starring a young Tom Cruise, who plays the pilot Cole Trickle, it tells the story of a rookie driver who ends up at the top of the field, surviving a serious accident that almost takes him out of the race. Definitely an exciting movie to have a good time.

Ford v Ferrari

After an unsuccessful bid to buy Ferrari (at a price deemed ridiculous by Enzo Ferari), and a difficult path ahead for the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford II decides to commission Carroll Shelby to design a car to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. Along with pilot Ken Milles, the race could decide the fate of the company. This film that will delight motor lovers and non-enthusiasts alike.

I’m afraid I can’t be objective with this movie. For me it is one of the best racing films of recent times, with spectacular cinematography and sound. If you have the chance, you should see it on a high quality screen with a good sound system to enjoy every single detail of the film.