2013 Cadillac XTS

New York Aston Martin dealer facing corporate espionage charges against rival Ferrari dealer

 
1 1,967 views Apr 24, 2009

Ferrari, it seems, is a magnet for this sort of behavior, no matter the context

Ferrari, it seems, is a magnet for this sort of behavior, no matter the context

Enlarge Photo
Espionage isn't just restricted to the James Bond and John Le Carre figures of the world - we already saw industrial espionage taint the image of Formula 1 a couple of years ago with two Ferrari F1 employees being handed jail sentences in the matter. In a strange twist of events, this time Ferrari is at the losing end of some corporate espionage undertaken by rival manufacturer Aston Martin - although this time it wasn't in the F1 paddock.

Reports are circulating that the owners of a New York based car dealership, that specialized in selling Bentleys and Aston Martins, have been accused of conducting corporate espionage against rival Ferrari and Maserati dealers.

The charges relate to some illegal 'e-mail tapping' undertaken by the Bentley/Aston Martin dealer, during which they gained unauthorized access to a New York Ferrari dealer's email server around 2,500 times in a period of about 8 months last year.

Not only were the Bentley/Aston dealers reading the emails, they were also contacting customers of Ferrari that were negotiating with the Prancing Horse. In one case, a customer was attempting to purchase a Ferrari Enzo from the New York Ferrari dealership when the Bentley/Aston dealers contacted the customer offering help.

While the current charges may seem a bit more blasè than other espionage cases we've heard of, the maximum penalty if the Bentley/Aston dealer is found guilty could still amount to a whopping 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Ouch.



Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comment (1)

  1. ma_Roy avatar Roy Posted: 4/24/2009 1:05pm PDT

    ...except that in the previous administration such wire-tapping was perfectly acceptable for patriotic purposes! What could be more patriotic than protecting an American-owned brand (Aston Martin was owned by Ford at the time) against those Fascist Italians? I'm confident that the courts will see justice is done in *all* of these wire-tapping cases.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.