The automotive world is extremely competitive. It’s no wonder we’ve seen some of the most explosive automotive rivalries played out on the public stage.
Whether it’s a competition over bragging rights on the race track or sales dominance in a particular market, automakers want to be at the top, which gives us some cool competition to admire. Some of these rivalries run deep and take us back decades, while others are just starting to fester and bring about some bad blood between different automakers.
The Ford vs. Ferrari Saga Played Out Live and on the Big Screen
A sales deal gone bad gave Henry Ford II all of the drive he needed to push his racing team to beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This iconic race was dominated by Ferrari before Ford brought Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles into the mix to bring the GT40 to victory. Imagine what would have been if Enzo Ferrari had sold his entire company to Ford; we wouldn’t have this great rivalry or the racing history it brought to the track.
A Racing Rivalry Down Under – Holden vs. Ford
Ford had some success in Australia, racing mostly against the homegrown Holden company and a host of Commodores that took victory laps more often than Ford would have liked. While thousands of people would flock to the Bathurst 1000 to see these race cars go head-to-head, this is one of the automotive rivalries that has ended. GM announced the end of Holden production in 2020, and that ended this brand on the track, leaving Ford with no worthy competitors in the land down under.
Ferrari vs. Lamborghini – Two Italian Hotheads Collide
The Ferrari headquarters and Lamborghini offices are barely 20 km apart, which makes them easy rivals for Italian supercar sales. Lamborghini founded its automobile division in 1963 and began selling road cars the following year. Enzo Ferrari once called Ferruccio Lamborghini nothing more than a “tractor mechanic,” which was a terrible insult. Bitter rivals for many years, these two brands always work to outperform each other, with customers being the clear winners.
A British Battle of Jaguar vs. Aston Martin
It’s it a proper gentlemen’s war, or do these two brands take the cheap shots and try and outsmart each other? You wouldn’t normally think that Jaguar and Aston Martin would compete, but when both were under Ford ownership, that was the case for the GT cars produced. Aston Martin gave us the DB7, while Jaguar brought the XKR8 to the market. The Jag came in at a lower price, which likely stole some sales from the DB7. This was a bit of a problem considering both brands belonged to the same parent company. Nothing like a little in-fighting for a good automotive rivalry.
Rally Cars Collide – Mitsubishi EVO VIII vs. Subaru
You might not have ever realized this was one of the automotive rivalries going on, but both brands certainly did. Both of these Japanese brands designed WRC cars that were four-door sedans in body style only. These cars were semi-practical, but the racing prowess underneath is what made them special. On the racing circuit, the EVO took the crown for four years while the Impreza WRX STI had three victories. The winner overall is Subaru, which produced the WRX STI for much longer.
Good Old American Muscle Battle with the Camaro vs. Mustang
In the United States, one of the most iconic questions asked is Camaro or Mustang. These two muscle cars have duked it out in every way imaginable. Both have success on the track, in movies, and with massive engines. Both cars have also had some real stinkers with the Mustang IIs and the Iron Duke Camaros. Overall, These two cars present a game of one-upmanship we love to enjoy.
Golf GTI vs. Peugeot 205 GTI – This is Where Hot Hatches Were Born
Some cars are born out of love, while others are born from the fires of bitter automotive rivalries. Such is the case for the hot hatches that are all but extinct in the market today. The Volkswagen Golf GTI and Peugeot 205 GTI were the first to market. VW built a loyal customer base, but the more powerful 205 GTI became a hit as soon as it went to market.
Is there Rivalry at the Top? Bentley vs. Rolls-Royce
The top of the luxury car segment shows a great divide between mass-produced names and the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce. These two brands once had the same parent company, but that’s no longer the case. We see a different approach with each brand but the same target audience. While not as hotly contested a rivalry as what Ford and Ferrari offered, these two brands often work to stay one step ahead of the other, giving customers the best they have to offer.
Bugatti vs. Koenigsegg – Going for a Pure Speed
Many automotive rivalries have come from simply wanting to be faster than the competition. Typically, automakers take their vehicles to Nürburgring to test more than the straight line speed of the vehicles. However, if a company wants to set some speed records, they need a bigger straight area to make that happen. To date, the Bugatti Chiron has hit 304.7 mph, but the Koenigsegg Jesko could be even faster with a simulated speed of 330 mph. Is there a breaking point where a car just can’t go faster because of limited technology? Only these two brands will know.
The German Luxury Car Race is Headed by the BMW vs. Mercedes-Benz Rivalry
Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz make incredible luxury cars, and they always compete with each other for our attention. The strange thing is, that both brands approach luxury differently, which makes this a true rivalry, but one that might not matter to customers. Typically, both brands are highly-respected, sell well, and offer impressive features and driving systems. If sales were the ultimate goal, it is a back and forth results with each brand leading the other after different years.
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