Shelby was a Le Mans winner (though not the first American as implied) and led the Ford GT40 program. The portrayal captures his persona well, though specific events like the fistfight are fictional.

Miles was crucial to the GT40's development and performance. His personality is depicted accurately in spirit, though perhaps exaggerated; his death testing the J-car is accurate.

The Deuce was indeed driven by a desire to beat Ferrari after the failed buyout. His influential role is accurate, but specific actions like the joyride in the GT40 are fabricated.

Iacocca was a key Ford executive involved in initiating the Le Mans project. However, he didn't personally handle the initial Ferrari negotiations in Italy as depicted.

Beebe was Ford's competition director, but the film portrays him as a primary antagonist deliberately sabotaging Miles, which is widely disputed and considered an unfair simplification of the complex finish decision.

The rivalry and failed Ford buyout are true. However, Ferrari initiated the buyout talks, wasn't present at Le Mans '66, and didn't use Ford to leverage a Fiat deal in '66 (Fiat invested in '69).

Ford did attempt to purchase Ferrari in 1963, but the deal collapsed late in negotiations, primarily over control of the racing division.

Following the failed buyout, Enzo Ferrari reportedly made disparaging remarks about Henry Ford II and his company, fueling Ford's desire for revenge.

Historical accounts suggest Enzo Ferrari actually initiated the talks with Ford first due to financial pressures, not the other way around as shown.

Angered by the failed deal and insults, Henry Ford II directed his company to build a car and team capable of beating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After initial failures with the GT40 program, Ford brought Carroll Shelby and his team, Shelby American, onboard to take over development and racing operations.

Ken Miles' skill as a test driver and engineer was instrumental in sorting out the GT40's issues and transforming it into a race-winning car.

The physical brawl between Shelby and Miles depicted in the film is fictional, added for dramatic effect to highlight their sometimes contentious but ultimately collaborative relationship.

Shelby never made such a bet with Ford executives to secure Miles' place at Le Mans. Miles had already raced for Ford at Le Mans in 1965.

This scene where Shelby terrifies Ford II in a GT40 to gain leverage is entirely fictional and highly improbable given safety and corporate protocols.

The film skips Ford's first Le Mans attempt in 1964 (also a failure), depicting only the 1965 loss before the 1966 victory, thus condensing the timeline of Ford's struggle.

Ken Miles actually drove a Ford GT car in the 1965 Le Mans race (retiring with gearbox issues); he wasn't listening from California as depicted.

Ford GT40 Mk IIs thoroughly dominated the 1966 race, finishing 1-2-3, while the competing Ferraris suffered mechanical failures and retirements.

The film shows a Ferrari driven by Bandini battling Miles late in the race. In reality, the lead Ferrari was many laps down before retiring, making Ford's dominance even greater than shown.

Ford executives, wanting a publicity photo, instructed the leading cars (Miles/Hulme and McLaren/Amon) to slow down and cross the finish line together.

Because McLaren/Amon started further back on the grid, race officials determined they covered more distance in 24 hours, awarding them the win over Miles/Hulme despite the dead-heat finish attempt.

Ken Miles tragically died in August 1966 while testing Ford's experimental J-car (the GT40 successor) at Riverside International Raceway.

The film effectively captures the general look and feel of the mid-1960s through costumes, production design, and atmosphere.

High-quality replicas, including licensed Superformance models visually identical to the originals, were used to portray the GT40s convincingly.

Accurate-looking replicas were used to represent the Ferrari P3 and other models featured in the racing sequences.

Filming occurred at various locations (Road Atlanta, Georgia roads, California airfield set) dressed to resemble key parts of the 1966 Le Mans track, as the real circuit has changed significantly.

The "Daytona" race was filmed at Auto Club Speedway in California, which doesn't accurately represent the real Daytona track or its facilities from 1966. Modern lighting was also incorrectly shown.

While Willow Springs is a real track, the specific SCCA race shown early in the film didn't happen as depicted; it served a narrative purpose.

The film used skilled stunt drivers, practical effects, and real high-speed driving to create visceral and largely realistic racing sequences, avoiding CGI for car movements.

The film emphasizes hands-on work but largely overlooks the cutting-edge (for the era) computer simulations and dynamometer testing Ford employed in developing the GT40.

Anachronistic details appear, such as modern catch fencing not present at Le Mans in '66 and incorrect American-style utility poles in scenes set in France.