Ford v Ferrari trailer: Christian Bale and Matt Damon star in first clip from Le Mans '66

'Logan' filmmaker James Mangold directs the biopic

The first trailer for Ford v Ferrari – titled Le Mans '66 in the UK – has been unveiled.

Directed by Logan filmmaker James Mangold, the story centres on American car designer Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon, and British-born driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), as they attempt to create a car for Ford that can take on Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.

Mangold said of the film: “I love stories that take you to a time when we were a little less cautious: when we were first figuring out our relationship to technology, how we were going to make excellent tools and faster better contraptions based upon our instincts more than computer models. Now, we’ve become so corporate, liability-protected, computer simulated and risk averse it’s hard to imagine the same kind of discovery is even possible.

"The eccentric characters who pioneered racing, much like our astronauts and test pilots, put their lives on the line every day. The cars were prototypes, one of a kind, and sometimes death traps, dawning-age beasts so powerful they could tear themselves apart. The men behind the wheel and in the pits and garages came from all walks of life, speed junkies, technical engineers, entrepreneurs, military men, street racers, gamblers, designers, hot rodders, and car geeks, young and old. All working together at the very edge of technology without a map.”

Le Mans '66 reaches UK cinemas on the 8 November.