http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci214112,00.html

Taken directly from wikipedia:

"Skunk works" or "skunkworks" is widely used in business, engineering, and technical fields to describe a group within an organization given a high degree of autonomy and unhampered by bureaucracy, tasked with working on advanced or secret projects

The term "Skunk Works" came from Al Capp's satirical, hillbilly comic strip Li’l Abner, which was immensely popular in the 1940s and '50s. The “Skonk Works" was a dilapidated factory located on the remote outskirts of Dogpatch, in the backwoods of Kentucky. According to the strip, scores of locals were done in yearly by the toxic fumes of the concentrated "skonk oil", which was brewed and barreled daily by "Big Barnsmell" (known as the lonely "inside man" at the Skonk Works), by grinding dead skunks and worn shoes into a smoldering still, for some mysterious, never specified purpose.

The most famous "Skunk Works" was Kelly Johnson's operation at Lockheed Aircraft.

From Wikipedia:
"Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP), formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71, the F-117, and the F-22. Its largest current project is the F-35 Lightning II"

It also signifies they way in which the organization works together. The teams are organized in a way to shortcut traditional departmentalized working relationships. (Sort of like being vertically integrated on steroids.) Engineers and designers are basically on the manufacturing floor working hand in hand with the mechanics solving issues on the spot while the vehicle is being built.

subgrav - 20 November 2009 03:23 PM

Would someone be kind enough to define what a "skunkworks" is, besides my immediate guess that it has something to do with smells? Seriously.

Seriously...that's why the name itself came into use. The original Lockheed Martin working group for the Shooting Star was housed in a circus tent next to a plastics factory in Burbank, California. The reek from the plastics was so strong that one of the engineers started answering the phone with "Skunk Works." The flattened, highly efficient organization that a "skunk works" represents has been described above.

Ten more days (hopefully less) and we will see if they have the rolling chassis they promised. I can't wait!

I wish them luck.

It's really important to have your car ready to go on time. But, it is also very important to have drivers! I haven't heard a whisper about drivers. They need to hire a very good driver. One who knows how to break in a brand new car. They should spend a few bucks and go for Kimi. He is just the type of driver that can get the most out of a car that might not be the best. It would be nice to see them take down the big guys in some races. Good luck.

There's a news item about USF1's driver prospects in the sidebar right now! There's been especially heavy speculation about Jacques Villeneuve, José María López and Pedro de la Rosa, with Jonathan Summerton being rumored as a possible test driver.

The "Skunk Works" is the nickname given to the Lockheed Aircraft's advanced development department where they designed the SR-71, F-117 and other such "black" projects.