A. J. Baime’s new book, “Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans,” is set in the 1960s but evokes a world that now seems vanished and fantastical. General Motors and Ford, far from bankrupt, are two of the mightiest companies in the world.

Gas is as plentiful as water, and almost as cheap. Nobody buys a car because of its fuel efficiency or its safety features. All that matters is how fast it goes. Race drivers are heroic figures who appear on the cover of Time and Newsweek almost as often as they turn up in emergency rooms or the morgue. When Ralph Nader starts complaining about the Corvair, G.M. hires private detectives to dig up dirt on his private life.

The centerpiece of the story is the quest by Henry Ford II, or the Deuce, as he was known, to end Ferrari’s string of victories at Le Mans, the 24-hour road race that at the time was probably the world’s most dangerous sporting event. He was convinced that Ford’s racing success would translate into sales back home in the showroom, but he was also locked in a personal rivalry with the imperious Enzo Ferrari, head of the Italian car company. It took Ford three tries and countless millions, but he finally prevailed when a Ford GT40 Mk II, driven by Bruce McLaren, won at Le Mans in 1966.

In many ways, though, the feud persists. There are still car enthusiasts who prefer the elegance and nimbleness of the Ferrari, and those who swear by the muscle and straight-ahead speed of the Ford GT. Mr. Baime, an executive editor at Playboy, where he oversees the automotive coverage, is partial to Ferraris, and recently borrowed a bright red $300,000 599 GTB Fiorano and drove it to the Monticello Motor Club, a private track in the Catskills.