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1955 Belgian GP movie tells the story of Spa

With the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix happening this weekend, Shell reminded a few guests what the Spa-Francorchamps track and Belgian countryside were like in 1955. That year the petroleum company made a 30-minute movie about the grand prix - this is back when the track was called the Francorchamps National Circuit, near the town of Spa, and a list of its important corners didn't include a mention of Eau Rouge - where it was doing the same thing it still does today: working on fuels and lubricants via its technical partnership with Ferrari.
To create the mood, journalists were invited to a vintage cinema where they mingled with Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa and other extras in period fifties gear, and watched a screening of 1955 Belgian Grand Prix. You can scroll down for a screening of your own, as well as the press release, minus the petits-fours and pinups.

Can the Dark Knight pull off Enzo Ferrari?

Christian Bale is taking another role where he gets to be in close contact with cool cars. The former Batman has reportedly been cast as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic about the legendary automotive figure that's being directed by Michael Mann, according to Deadline Hollywood. Production is set to begin next summer. The film allegedly takes place in 1957 and is possibly related to the fatalities of 11 people that year in a Ferrari crash at the Mille Miglia. According to Road & Track, the story also might be based on the book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine. Mann has been trying to get the tale of the sports car magnate made for years, and had previously been negotiating to direct a movie adapting the book Go Like Hell about Ford and Ferrari's epic rivalry at Le Mans in the '60s. Bale's casting seems like a challenge, though. The British actor certainly doesn't look much like Ferrari. Also, he's currently 41, whereas il Commendatore was 59 in 1957. Mann's film already has challenger, too. Robert de Niro is also developing a Ferrari biopic in Italy, and he's taking the starring role. That movie would reportedly tell the story of the sports car company from its founding through Enzo's death in 1988. Here's hoping both of them make it to theaters; the auto industry titan's life is plenty fascinating enough to support more than one big-screen tale. Related Video:

1989 Ferrari F40 review had one Italian cyclist seeing rosso

We've got to say: we're really enjoying the MotorWeek incarnation of this Throwback Thursday trend that seems to be enveloping everyone's social media feeds. MW has an almost impossibly deep library of historical tape to draw from, meaning each recent Thursday has met with another gem dropped on YouTube.
The last old-timer that drew our interest (and yours, based on all the comments) was a sports car showdown of epic, 1990s proportions. Today though, we've got one of the most legendary supercars of all time, the Ferrari F40, presented with the wholesome goodness that is John Davis' signature style. Any classic road test of the the F40 would probably earn our clicks, but this particular video comes with some added drama around the 5:10 mark.
Don't rush there, it's fun to listen to the period-correct praise along the way, but prepare yourself for a near-miss that's almost as breathtaking as the Ferrari itself.