Spying on car manufacturers

Automobile manufacturers take extreme measures to protect new products in development. This is in order to prevent rivals stealing their new ideas as well as to prevent speculative buyers who may wait for new models causing a slump in sales of existing models in the market.

When manufacturers take new models out for a test drive, they take extreme precautionary measures to camouflage or disguise them. These measures include darkened trim, grafted prosthetics, black vinyl patches, and complex paint patterns. Their test sites are very well guarded.

Why go to such extreme measures? Part suppliers are always in the look for any sign of new models. They use this information to outrun other parts suppliers who are competing for the same information to get ahead. On the other hand, those who write about automobiles are spying over everything for a story.

There is a group of people who spy on manufacturers for information on new models and research. They search the internet; review tweets and e-mails; listen to phone calls; and chat with their contacts for any news. There are others like Georg Kacher, who is a legend in spying on the auto industry. Some get information from disgruntled employees.