Hi Tom,
Lockheed Aircraft Company's Advanced Development Projects Department was
known by the name "Skonk Works" till Al Cap's estate complained. After that
the company copyrighted the name "Skunk Works". There are various stories as
to how the name was acquired. Even though I am a retired skunk, I don't know
which one to believe. I do know that we at Lockheed referred to the place as
"The Projects" or "the Iron Curtain" (as in when you went to work there you
ceased to exist), hardly ever as the skunk works. A lot of neat stuff came
out of there and I was proud to be a cog in that machine. The term has
become a generic description of a place that gets thing done with a minimum
of corporate structure BS. Hope that helps.
Jim in Palmdale
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Neimeyer <3cbxs@ev1.net>
To: Land Speed <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 3:55 PM
Subject: Skunk Works?
> I've heard the term "Skunk Works" associated with car design and
> construction all my life but do not know where or how it originated,
anybody
> know?
>
> Regards, Tom
|