Le Mans '66 (2019)

Josh Lucas: Leo Beebe

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Miles and Peter enter the showroom to look at the new Ford Mustang] 

  Peter Miles : Whoa. Dad, look at that. Hah. The Ford Mustang. What do you think?

  [Miles looks around the Mustang] 

  Ken Miles : I think it's a secretary's car.

  Peter Miles : I like it.

  [Peter opens the passenger door and looks at the interior, alarming Beebe] 

  Leo Beebe : Oh. Excu... Excuse me. Would you, would you not do that?

  Peter Miles : Oh. Sorry.

  [Peter closes the door as Miles looks at Beebe] 

  Leo Beebe : Oh, er, is this, is this your son?

  Ken Miles : Yes, it is.

  Leo Beebe : Would you ask him to keep his hands off the paintwork?

  [Peter takes his hand off the roof] 

  Ken Miles : No, no, no, Peter, You're okay.

  [looking at Beebe] 

  Ken Miles : Who are you?

  Leo Beebe : Leo Beebe, Senior Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company.

  Ken Miles : Ah.

  Leo Beebe : I'm responsible for the launch of the Mustang.

  Ken Miles : Ah! At least now we know who's responsible. Don't get me wrong, Lenny.

  Leo Beebe : Leo.

  Ken Miles : It looks fantastic. But inside, it's a lump of lard, dressed up to fool the public. My advice is, lose the inline-six and that idiotic three-speed, shorten the wheelbase, somehow lose half a ton, and lower the price.

  Peter Miles : Dad.

  Ken Miles : But even then, I'd still choose a Chevy Chevelle. And that's a fucking terrible car.

• [Henry Ford II reads the newspaper headline of Fiat buying Ferrari before dropping the paper and picking up his glass to pour a drink] 

  Leo Beebe : He played us. Old Man Enzo had no intention of selling to us. He used us to up his price, embarrass our company and insult your leadership. It was a bad idea from the start.

  [Henry II approaches his executives] 

  Henry Ford II : What exactly did he say?

  [pause, as Henry II takes a drink] 

  Lee Iacocca : He said Ford makes ugly little cars, and we make 'em... in an ugly factory. He said our executives are sons of whores.

  [Henry II approaches Iacocca] 

  Henry Ford II : About me?

  Lee Iacocca : He called you fat, sir. Pigheaded.

  Henry Ford II : Go on.

  Lee Iacocca : He said you're not Henry Ford. You're Henry Ford II.

  [Henry II stares at Iacocca before walking back to his desk] 

  Henry Ford II : I want the best engineers. The best drivers. I don't care what it costs. We're gonna build a race car...

  [Henry II finishes his drink and puts down his glass] 

  Henry Ford II : And we're gonna bury that goddamn greasy wop 100 feet deep under the finish line at Le Mans. And I will be there to watch it.

• [Henry Ford II enters the assembly plant] 

  Henry Ford II : Shut it down, Mr. Beebe.

  [Beebe turns around and faces the head engineer] 

  Leo Beebe : John.

  [head engineer nods and shuts down the assembly line] 

  Henry Ford II : Hear that? That's the sound of the Ford Motor Company out of business.

  [Henry II walks around] 

  Henry Ford II : IN 1899, my grandfather, Henry 'By God' Ford, was walking home from Edison Illumination after working a double shift. He was ruminating. That morning, he had himself an idea that changed the world. Sixty-five years, and 47 million automobiles later, what shall be his legacy? Getting it in the tail pipe from a Chevy Impala.

  [workers chuckle] 

  Henry Ford II : Here's what I want you to do. Walk home.

  [workers go silent] 

  Henry Ford II : While you're walking, I want you to ruminate. Man comes to my office with an idea, that man keeps his job. Rest of you, second-best losers... stay home. You don't belong at Ford.