Still, nobody has provided any proof, other than speculation, that GM had a secret skunkwerks program with the government agencies from any ordering information or GM letterheads. They may have, but nobody has unearthed the presence of such animal. I wouldn't even be surprised if they did align themselves with agencies to help develop ways to do the things they claim to have done. Someone said something that was documented. Sorry, to me that's not proof. That's just hearsay written down. If they said something that was able to be validated, that's a different story.
You seem like a good guy, and don't take this with any disrespect, but DAM, I don't know if I'd want to sit down and have coffee with you, I would have to make sure it was in a library of historic documentation, so that everything I spoke could be proven !
I truly get what you're saying, but to me, GM is the WORST offenders for keeping records, this everyone can agree on. The employees, managers, chief of engineering, etc. etc. worked on many projects, some came to be, some didn't, prototypes and what not. Doesn't mean things or events never happened because they don't have documentation today, 40 + years later, due to failure on their part to steal documentation in their lunch pails as they left work every day, just to prove their stories decades later, who does that?? ...it was probably the least thing on their minds as they went home from a long shift to their families. Much of the stories we hear are just that, stories, and unfortunately, that's all we have to go on from the actual people that worked at GM.
GM is very secretive, and any and all sensitive materials would never be allowed to leave the plant, and quite frankly, it was just their job, they didn't give a crap about taking anything home to remind them of their long day, or to prove decades later what they did. I agree on what you mentioned about keeping projects separated, for instance, let's say there were 10 people involved and working on one project separately, each person having a job to do, no one truly knows the entire project or end result. This is exactly how the Government operates and Lockheed Martin, it keeps things on the level, and each sector has no idea what the other one is doing. stealing information to sell to outside sources is deterred, since partial information or documentation is worthless.
I guess I'm wired differently. I have many people I befriended over the years who worked GM's assembly lines, engineering departments, and one of my favorites is a gentlemen named Dan. Dan worked his way through GM and ended up at the AC/Delco sector and retired out of their writing manuals. Of course, he knew everybody it seems back in the day, and we have long conversations on experiences that he has been involved in over the years, sometimes we talk for hours, what a walking talking encyclopedia of knowledge. I love listening and taking as much information in as possible. He has no reason to lie to me, and quite frankly, would be offended if I asked for proof of everything he said, he worked there, he should know! What would be his motive to call me and lie for hours lol, doesn't work that way. Hes an elderly gentleman who likes to reminisce in his legacy he is proud of, (a rare commodity in today's society) I like to listen out of respect and learn some history, otherwise would have been forgotten.
Will