Henry Ford II

When Henry Ford II took over the family company in 1945, Ford Motor Company was bloated, disorganized, and teetering on irrelevance. By the time he stepped down as CEO in 1979, it had become a global industrial titan-and the only American automaker to ever conquer Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In this rigorously researched, narrative-driven account, Henry Ford II: The Deuce Who Beat Ferrari traces how a grandson of the Model T's inventor transformed into a commanding force in American industry. The book follows Ford's journey from his privileged but pressurized upbringing through wartime service, corporate takeover, and his defiant challenge to Enzo Ferrari in the world's most prestigious endurance race. Along the way, readers meet the engineers, drivers, and executives-Shelby, Miles, McNamara, Iacocca-who shaped a daring era of innovation and risk. Drawing on verifiable historical records and presented in a smooth, story-driven voice, this is not just the saga of a car. It is the story of how a single directive-"Go to Le Mans and beat them"-became a defining moment in the global identity of Ford Motor Company and the legacy of a man known simply as "The Deuce."