Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal draws to an end]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/mclaren-ferrari-spy-scandal-draws-to-an-end/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/mclaren-ferrari-spy-scandal-draws-to-an-end/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/24/mclaren-ferrari-spy-scandal-draws-to-an-end/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The two-year-old Stepneygate saga - long and complex enough to rival any of the Icelandic sagas - is finally over. A court in Modena, Italy has smacked four McLaren employees with six-figure fines: senior engineers Rod Taylor, Jonathan Neale, and Paddy Lowe are on the hook for €150,000 each (around $190,000 USD); chief designer Mike Coughlan got hit with a €180,000 fine (nearly $230,000).

The only thing left to decide: Who is actually going to pay the bill. Reports indicate that McLaren will pay the senior engineers' bill, but Coughlan could be on his own. As for the eponymous instigator of the entire affair, former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney (pictured) is still being sought by Italian prosecutors for industrial espionage and for team sabotage at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix.

[Source: Associated Press (via Google)]

McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal draws to an end originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>espionagef1ferrarifiafomula 1Fomula1formula oneFormulaOnemclarenmike coughlanMikeCoughlannigel stepneyNigelStepneystepneygateTue, 24 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST<![CDATA[World's most famous spy ever is... Brenda Priddy?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/06/worlds-most-famous-spy-ever-is-brenda-priddy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/06/worlds-most-famous-spy-ever-is-brenda-priddy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/06/worlds-most-famous-spy-ever-is-brenda-priddy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's no secret that automotive spy photographer Brenda Priddy is synonymous with shots of heavily-camouflaged cars and of engineers enduring extreme climate testing. But now, she has been outed as The Most Famous Spy in History on a website called ShareRanks.

This shooter of top secret sedans and covert convertibles has been ranked above notorious agents such as Mata Hari who was executed as a German spy. Priddy even tops Revolutionary War spy Nathan "One Life to Live" Hale who is probably in every American history textbook in the country.

That's her in the photo with her back to the camera. It's the only photo she'd authorize for use with this story. "After all, I don't want people to know what I look like!" she said in an e-mail to us (one we suspect that originated in her underground bunker somewhere in the Arizona desert). Then again, someone of her spy caliber could have sent it from right here in the Autoblog offices. Hmmmm.

As someone who makes a living off exposing the secrets of the auto industry, how does she feel about her newfound fame? We asked her that and a few more questions that you can read the answer to after the jump.

Photo Copyright Brenda Priddy, used with permission.

Continue reading World's most famous spy ever is... Brenda Priddy?

World's most famous spy ever is... Brenda Priddy? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brenda priddyBrendaPriddyespionagepriddyshareranksspy photosspy picsSpyPhotosspypicsspyshotsFri, 06 Feb 2009 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Stepneygate postmortem -- what really happened in the F1 espionage scandal]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/the-stepneygate-postmortem-what-really-happened-in-the-f1-esp/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/the-stepneygate-postmortem-what-really-happened-in-the-f1-esp/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/22/the-stepneygate-postmortem-what-really-happened-in-the-f1-esp/#commentsFiled under: ,



Wired has posted a lengthy and thorough dissection of what really happened in last year's Stepneygate F1 scandal. The affair turned Ferrari an even more scarlet red, sucked $100,000,000 from McLaren's bank account and eliminated the team from the constructor's championship, ended the F1 careers of two F1 honchos, and possibly ended Ron Dennis' marriage.

And of course, being F1, it all starts with a tall blond, a sheaf of illegally-possessed documents, and a copy machine. After that come clandestine meetings in airports, furtive text messages, and sabotage. It's probably as close as you're going to get to Bourne or Bond in real life. Follow the link to read the full story.

Thanks for the tip, Todd!

[Source: Wired]

The Stepneygate postmortem -- what really happened in the F1 espionage scandal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 May 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>espionagef1f1 espionage scandalf1 spy scandalF1EspionageScandalF1SpyScandalferrariformula 1Formula1mclarenmike coughlanMikeCoughlannigel stepneyNigelStepneyspy spandalSpySpandalstepneygateThu, 22 May 2008 18:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota engineers convicted of stealing secrets from Ferrari]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/toyota-engineers-convicted-of-stealing-secrets-from-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/toyota-engineers-convicted-of-stealing-secrets-from-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/toyota-engineers-convicted-of-stealing-secrets-from-ferrari/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In most countries, acts like murder, treason, or plotting to overthrow the government rank among the most heinous crimes a person can commit. In Italy, stealing secrets from Ferrari ranks right up near the top of the list, too.

Following a long, drawn out process, two former Scuderia Ferrari engineers, who stood accused of stealing secrets from Maranello and giving them to rivals at Toyota F1, have been convicted. Pending appeal, Angelo Santini was sentenced to nine months and Mauro Iacconi to 16 behind bars on charges of industrial espionage.

Back at the start of the 2003 season, Toyota built a wind-tunnel down the road from Ferrari in Sant'Agata Bolognese, near the Lamborghini factory. Naturally the project recruited the talents of many former Ferrari engineers, but when the season kicked off, Toyota's car looked suspiciously like Ferrari's. Complaints were filed in Italy and in Germany, and the case against Santini and Iacconi went to court a year ago. Toyota's former team principal, chief designer and chief aerodynamicist were all charged in Germany, where the case against them is pending prosecution.

It seems that Toyota will stop at nothing to catch up to Ferrari, and when hiring a Schumacher didn't work, less legal means were employed.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Toyota engineers convicted of stealing secrets from Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>convictedcourtespionagef1ferrariformula oneFormulaOnegermanindustrialitalianlegalscuderiasecretsstealtoyotaWed, 25 Apr 2007 11:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Automaker Smackdown: Hyundai vs. Toyota]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/27/automaker-smackdown-hyundai-vs-toyota/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/27/automaker-smackdown-hyundai-vs-toyota/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/27/automaker-smackdown-hyundai-vs-toyota/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



So, you're Hyundai. You badly covet more market share in the US, and your targets are Honda and Toyota. What would be better than to hire a defector from the other team? It's even better when the defector brings along plenty of top-secret information to share. That's just what engineer Bruce Shibuya did when Hyundai nabbed him from Toyota and appointed him vice president of the Hyundai-Kia North American Quality Center. Little details like non-disclosure agreements must have been lost in the shuffle, as a tipster inside Hyundai alerted Toyota to the blatant theft and disclosure of trade secrets, which of course has led to a lawyer-fest. Shibuya's alleged brazen acts included giving Toyota-branded powerpoint presentations to Hyundai and copying binder upon binder of technical information, all handily marked "do not duplicate", and sending that information on to Hyundai HQ in Korea. Since Toyota's lawyers arrived on the scene, Shibuya has been terminated and Toyota has yet to file litigation against Hyundai.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Required]

Automaker Smackdown: Hyundai vs. Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>espionageHyundaiquality controlQualityControlsecretsterminationToyotaMon, 27 Nov 2006 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Brenda Priddy's fall collection]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/15/brenda-priddys-fall-collection/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/15/brenda-priddys-fall-collection/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/15/brenda-priddys-fall-collection/#commentsFiled under:

Ah, Fashion Week. That time of year when designers roll out their most extravagant, over-the-top Spring fashion ideas so we can have the Target knock-offs next April when the weather actually allows us to wear them. While Y3, Vera and DK may be the stars in NY, here at Autoblog we turn to that well-known and well-loved spy photog fashionista Brenda Priddy. Brenda's line of casual wear was recently unveiled with much less fanfare on cafepress.

We were slightly disappointed by the lack of camouflage or black garments in the lineup, but the HHR SS and Mercedes ML spyshots and "Espionage" in many languages look good on the T-shirts, camis, jerseys, Baby Dolls and even onesies that are available. And for those who don't want to necessarily wear their passions on their sleeves, there is a whole range of gift and desktop items available with the same designs.

[Source: Cafepress via TheCarConnection]

Brenda Priddy's fall collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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