[urq] NAC: Spy photographers : myth or reality ?

[Ned Ritchie]

I've seen Audi Test Cars at Prestige Audi in the Denver Area on several
occasions for high altitude testing.

-----Original Message-----
From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com] On
Behalf Of Ed Kellock
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 10:33 AM
To: Louis_Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com
Cc: urq at audifans.com; quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Re: [urq] NAC: Spy photographers : myth or reality ?

Well, wouldn't a professional spy photographer know when and where to
get his/her shots?

I've read a magazine article specifically about one spy photog and his
exploits in Death Valley, I believe it was.  Didnt' read as a spoof.
I'll see if I can dig it up.  I think it was in Road & Track.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Louis_Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com>
To: "Ed Kellock" <ekellock at gmail.com>
Cc: <quattro at audifans.com>; <urq at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 11:14 AM
Subject: Re: [urq] NAC: Spy photographers : myth or reality ?


>
>
>
>
>
> Precision about my initial post:
>
> I know that manufacturers DO test their cars on public roads. I
don't
> question what many of you have seen. Even my own Honey swear she saw
a Q7
> this spring in Montreal.
> What I DON'T believe, is the existence of "professionnal spy
> photographers". It's just unbelievable that a guy can shoot 10, 20,
50
> unseen new cars a year without being caught.
> That's why I said that these fictious persons hide a PR agency doing
> (carefully timed) release of the pictures of the next vehicles. It's
part
> of the "hype" preceding the launch of any new face in
automobile-dom.
>
> Now, look at this month Car and Driver "Future cars" feature, and
tell me
> that the pictures of the cars at the Nurburgring are spy shots. No
kidding,
> the camera must have been in that same corner for years...
>
> Louis-Alain,
> trying to start a (friendly) flame war out of damp wood...
>
>
> Ed Kellock wrote:
>
> I believe they exist, though I don't have any proof.  I've never met
> one, but in 30 years of reading car magazines, seeing them, and
> reading stories talking about the profession or specific individuals
> emplyed as such, I belive they exist.
>
> When I was in college in Long Beach, CA, I worked in a Fotomat booth
> and on a regular basis, I saw a group of late-model Mercedes pull
into
> the shopping center parking lot and the drivers would go into a
store
> or fast-food restaurant there.  They all had extensive gear in/on
> them... antennas and other stuff.  They weren't disguised, but they
> were obviously a test group of some sort.  I finally asked one what
> was going on and they were just putting miles on them in real-world
> conditions.
>
> At the time I was salivating to get a job like that, but it never
came
> to be.  These weren't the fodder for spy photogs, but it was the
same
> sort of testing program, just without any body work they were
worried
> about being seen.  It's easy to do it with just engines/drivetrains,
> but with a totally new model, it's not quite so, hence the need for
> disguising them.
>
> I would venture to say that some car companies might put disuised
cars
> on public roads to throw some teasers out via the spy photogs, but I
> doubt they're employed by the car companies.
>
> Ed
>
>
> > On 7/18/05, Louis_Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com
> > <Louis_Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > I was having a discussion with a friend, and we had a gentle
argument
> about
> > > the so called "spy" photographers.
> > >
> > > I ,for one, don't believe these guys really exists. Or, if they
really
> do,
> > > they just put their name on a shot that some manufacturer sent
them.
> They
> > > are in fact a PR agency for the manufacturers.
> > >
> > > My arguments are:
> > >
> > > 1- If they wanted, it would be real easy for a car manufacturer
to
> "test"
> > > their mule in a remote location where no Hans Lehmann, Brenda
Priddy or
> Jim
> > > Dunne are waiting, hidden in a cache with a 3 ft long zoom.
> > >
> > > 2- Anybody had actually talked, seen or can confirm their
existence ?
> > >
> > > 3- Strangely, we never see shots of the "test mules" broken, in
fire,
> in a
> > > ditch or in any unfavourable position. The cars are always
> "...cornering
> > > agressively at the Nurburgring", "...enduring successfuly hot
weather
> > > testing", "...experiencing the most extreme cold of the year",
etc.
> These
> > > cars are amazingly reliable, for test mules, no ?
> > >
> > > 4- After all these years, even my mother would know that a car
with
> tape
> > > over the rear lens is a "disguised test mule". Then, if I was a
car
> > > manufacturer, I would have found a way to disguise my cars in
less
> evident
> > > way !
> > >
> > > 5- And the massive argument : To whom this "spy" shot is
profitable ?
> Who
> > > is gaining media interest for "free" ? Answer this question and
you
> have
> > > the proof that they are bogus.
> > >
> > > So, any takers to defend the reality of the spy shots ?
> > >
> > > Louis-Alain
>
>

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