Counterpoint: Spy Photographer Chris Doane Weighs in on Winding Road’s Fake Prototype ‘Vette
We would like to thank our good friend, Chris Doane, for providing us with his opinion on Winding Road’s fake Corvette WR Prototype Stunt.
Story by Chris Doane
It is not uncommon for the prototypes we see in spy photos to be deceiving. Some cars may be comprised of fake body panels, others may be covered in rolls of tape that appear to be inspired by a zebra. Sometimes even the entire shell of a current model car is shoehorned over a chassis that’s still in development.
On Friday afternoon, word started getting around on several automotive websites that something was awry with a few current spy photos of a silver corvette purported to be the Blue Devil “super vette.” When these photos first hit the web some weeks ago, I knew something wasn’t quite right with them. The most glaring issue was the lack of a manufacturer license plate. To me, something also didn’t look quite right with the camouflage material. As it turns out, an online automotive magazine, Winding Road, fabricated a mock-up of a test car and drove it around the metro Detroit area.
I’m struggling to see the point of this stunt. I’m sure I will get responses like “Lighten up, it was a joke,” but hear me out. If you read the story in the Jan 2007 edition of Winding Road that tells the tale of the fake prototype, the point of the ruse was to deceive other publications into running the photos. The story also chides “Irresponsible speculation has been put forth by Corvette fanatics, magazine editors and competing manufacturers.”
If I had to guess, Autoweek, Motor Trend and The Car Connection aren’t laughing. All of these outlets published the photos of the fake car on their websites believing it to be an authentic GM prototype. It was, after all, a fairly convincing forgery. Needless to say, this obviously doesn’t make those outlets look good in the credibility department. Some of you may think these media outlets don’t have any credibility to begin with. That’s fine if you think that, but we’re talking solely about this particular incident.
I know competition gets fiercer by the day among the various automotive publications, but purposely tricking your competitors borders on something that is less-than-professional journalism. It’s certainly not a trend I want to see continue to the point where we have magazines warring with each other much like election time, TV attack ads. In the end, however, whether this stunt is equally or more “irresponsible” than printing speculation is up to all of you to decide.
The bigger issue for me, however, is that the fake corvette hurts the credibility of people like myself, Brenda and others who make their living shooting prototypes for everyone’s enjoyment. It didn’t take long after the fabrication was revealed for people to start asking if the photos of the black powertrain mule that I photographed back in October were fake as well. Let’s answer that right now. No, they are not fake. We have very credible information that this black prototype I shot is a development car for the “super vette” program. For all those worrying that the program is a pipe dream, rest easy. It’s very real and it’s very loud. The black car I shot wore a typical blue “Michigan Manufacturer,” license plate, was with a large group of other GM test cars and was driven by a person I know to be a GM engineer.
Needless to say, we certainly don’t want people in the automotive world getting the idea that we fake our spy photos because that is something we NEVER do. If our clients thought we were giving them fabricated photos, we obviously wouldn’t be in business very long. We were even offered photos of the fake silver corvette test car by someone via email, but we passed knowing something wasn’t quite right with the car. I’m sure it may sound a little funny to hear someone who spies on large corporations for a living talking about his ethical business practices, but we do play by the rules. That is something even the OEMs themselves would tell you.
On a lighter note, the Winding Road crew did a pretty good job making a convincing mock-up. If I’d seen it go past me on the road, I would’ve turned around to shoot it. I just wouldn’t have sent the images out after I got a good look at it on my computer screen. The spy photography business puts me in the unique position of being able to shoot first and ask questions later.
Overall was this meant as a joke? Yes, I think so. I hope so. Were there some unforeseen negative effects? Unfortunately, yes. Hopefully Winding Road and I can agree to disagree on the staging of this prank. I’d hate to lose them as a client. Especially since I’m selling a kidney tomorrow… how else can I afford the plane ticket to Australia to photograph those Camaro prototypes?
– Chris
chris_doane_auto@yahoo.com
Chris Doane is a spy photographer who works with Brenda Priddy & Co. scanning the globe for the latest, greatest cars that have yet to hit the showroom.
In the interest of full disclosure; Autoweek, Motor Trend, The Car Connection and Winding Road are all clients of Brenda Priddy & Co.
You have to give Chris and his ’spy photo’ brethren a nod- they sit in bushes, hang from trees, or sit in some rental car with a bunch of stale donuts and coffee just waiting for some car company jamoke to make a mistake and drive a pre-production prototype within range of their lens ( given the size of these things, that range is likely 4 to 5 miles…). And then they rifle-off a bunch of photos that they sell to car mags, The poor schlub’s error is published across the landscape. How’d you like to have these guys watching your every move at work? Didn’t think so……
Despite Chis’ call of ‘foul’, I’m guessing that the auto execs are just loving this. They are probably doubled-over hysterical, and Chris’ story just made it even better.
So, a car magazine that is breaking new ground fueled by a bunch of really creative guys delivers something far more stimulating than the usual drivel these mags foist on us, and he’s upset. Am I the only one that remembers that car magazines used to be fun and entertaining to read?…And they actually were crafted by guys who loved cars? If I see another 17 car, four door micro-car for under $3,000 shootout, we should all cry ‘foul’. But that’s what car magazines have become these days…..
So, instead of complaining, why not celebrate the notion that there’s now a magazine with a set of cajones that recognizes that there a bunch of us out there looking for something interesting to read. I love it- totally brilliant!
Roberto,
It’s fine if you don’t agree with me, I certainly didn’t expect everyone to. However, please don’t try to speak knowledgeably about what I do for a living. It’s clear you don’t have an understanding of what we do as all this:
“You have to give Chris and his ’spy photo’ brethren a nod- they sit in bushes, hang from trees, or sit in some rental car with a bunch of stale donuts and coffee just waiting for some car company jamoke to make a mistake and drive a pre-production prototype within range of their lens ( given the size of these things, that range is likely 4 to 5 miles…)”
is not true. Actually I may have gotten donuts once while working in the morning, but they were certainly fresh.
Also I dont think your comment about auto execs is correct. We’re friends with many engineers and execs in the automotive world. You’d be surprised how many oh them are actually fans of spy photos.
On a website I frequent my signature is:
“Let’s try something new here. If you don’t really have any experience or knowledge in what you are trying to talk about, then shut the f*ck up.”
The internet would probably benefit greatly if we all stuck to that.
-CD
Great read and a good insight into what has really been going on behind the scenes of this story.
Chris:
LOL on the donuts!
Regarding your signature and personal inference:
“Let’s try something new here. If you don’t really have any experience or knowledge in what you are trying to talk about, then shut the f*ck up.”
I might well know a lot more than you are giving me credit for; and I’d suggest that your story probably crossed your own line.
Spy photos are the drug car mags are on these days as they try stimulate absolutely dead newsstand sales performances, or try to drive unique visitor numbers on their woefully performing websites by sensationally exclaiming “the new XXXX breaks cover and we have it!!!” The photo of some test hack asks the reader to heavily rely on his/her imagination, and at the end of the day, it’s all speculative anyway. The Winding Road piece spoofed the reality of all this, was brilliantly done, and called into focus the whole silly preoccupation with spy photos. What could possibly be wrong with that?
We love your work, nobody thinks for one moment that it’s faked, but who knows what lurks on the other side of a piece of vinyl? Let’s keep it all in perspective, okay?
Roberto,
Guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Well, other than the donuts.
Actually I wont just leave it at that.
I certainly don’t think I crossed my own line. If there is anything Im familiar with its the use of spy photos by magazines. It is afterall the business Im in. If I dont know it, I should be doing something else. Some spy photos do need a lot of imagination, sometimes every inch is covered in vinyl. Often that’s not the case though.
I wont attempt to guess WR’s motive other than to go by what the story said which was to trick other mags.
You statement that no one thinks my work is faked isn’t really correct. After all this broke people immediately started asking if the photos I took were also fake. Surely you can understand we don like that part at all.
-CD
(Now Im sort of hungry for donuts….)
Chris:
If the foks questioning the authenticityof your work are editor/photo editor at the mags, it just confirms my assessment that the car magazines aren’t what they once were. Hopefully, that isn’t the case. Now, if it’s just some friends or fellow car guys, I suggest that you need some new friends, because they don’t know Chris Doane very well, do they?
Regarding crossing the line, you have to admit that the role of spy photos in a magazine’s operation is but a pin prick in the total scope of it’s business, and your story suggests otherwise. Hence, you did cross that line. There are so many other elements and dynamics involved in running a magazine, and the WR piece is a very telling, but funny commentary on but one faulty element. It’s not just about the spy photographer, although I do see how you could arrive at that conclusion.
Cheers
I think it’s hilarious. Exposing the lack of journalistic standards in that a fake prototype, even one so very poorly built and with such obvious tell tales as the plates can be published by several online magazines and blogs really says a lot about the gullibility of the populace, and unfortunately editors of said magazines that chose to run the pictures. I doubt you will be out of a job Mr Doane, but I don’t doubt that maybe editors should have a multiple pics by multiple sighters befroe publishing such pictures and speculating wildly about them.
Even better is that after this has been exposed as a fake, several websites STILL have the pictures up (check motortrend for one).
And all of this because some journalist invented (yes invented) a “Blue Devil” label for a zo6 prototype at the `ring some years ago. I think it was well and truly time for journalists to be hoisted on their own petards. Good job WR!
Roberto,
The people I’ve heard from are neither editors or personal friends. They are enthusiasts wondering if the photos I took are fake as well. So, for me, it’s bad that the very audience I shoot for is now questioning my work.
Hmm, Im not sure how I was making spy photography out to be bigger than it was/is? You must be interpreting my words differently than I intended them? However, the negative effect on spy photography was my biggest concern as it is my living. It was, afterall, an opinion/editorial piece I wrote.
Spy photography certainly IS a small part of the mags. Usually our pics are seen on 2 or 3 pages in the news section and that’s it. I would guess our work accounts for no more than…maybe 5% of the editorial photography appearing in auto mags? I’ve never really counted it up.
As to what the stunt was all about, again I wont try to get into WR’s head on this. I’ll only go by the reason printed in their article. “The ruse; To build a Corvette so authentic that it’s published in a competing car magazine.” However when you get past the sub-headlines and read the story, it seem to mostly be a plea with GM to build the car. Which is somewhat curious since the program has been underway for a while now. So Im not really sure if they were more interested in tricking competitors or making a statement to GM. Or equally interested in both.
While you may be correct in assuming what some of their goals were, we haven’t heard anything from WR yet (heh, unless you work for them.) I don’t see anything in the story saying something like “we’re gonna teach those other mags a lesson about journalism and fact checking!” It’s always better to get it from the horses mouth, so I’ll wait to see if WR talks about this.
-CD
Chris:
No, don’t work for them, but do have a bunch of experience in the magazine biz. However, as a car enthusiast, were I to have an opportunity to work for a magazine populated by people who sure seem like they’re having fun, I’d certainly pick Winding Road. Wouldn’t you?
Just spent some time over there with their new issue, and realized that it was guided by David E. Davis, jr. Goodness knows that we’ve all covered a bunch of fun-laden miles with DED over the years between C&D and Automobile. No wonder it’s such a fun read…. And how about the new Dino on the cover?!! I cannot believe that it’s not a photo! Just amazing…..
My guess is that their goals were not to in any way discredit your fine work, but to spoof the whole ‘Oh my God, here’s the new xxxxx!’ mentality of the car mags these days in an effort to spike sales. Just my educated and reasonable guess.
Roberto
It’s sort of funny you mention the DIno. That’s a program that really doesn’t exist. Yet there it is on the cover.
hi,
very thanks for tips all
Look, WR showed they are a bunch of juveniles interested in generating ‘eyeballs’ at any cost. Period. Anyone confused on that should have seen what these guys are made of when they FABRICATED, after the fact, the ridiculous notion that there intent was to make sure the public gets the car they want, because unless WR makes such a spoof, maybe GM would not know there is interest in the project.
Yeah. Right.
Those of you who endorse their tactics, good luck to you when they simply continue along true to form and hose you again later on, perhaps in way you will like less. Remember the scorpion that bit a fellow animal that had helped him — “Hey, it’s my nature!”
Uh so can you tell me the differnace between the fake and the real corvette
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