Report: Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design

Filed under: Classics, SUV, Government/Legal, Toyota, Toys/Games, Specialty, Design/Style, Off-Road

In a perfect world, all of our favorite companies would get along merrily. But sadly, we do not live in a perfect world. Icon, the company behind some of the most lust-worthy vintage off-roaders and street machines in existence, is accusing toymaker Mattel of stealing the FJ40 Baja Edition design for a Hot Wheels die cast toy. According to the most recent Icon newsletter, Hot Wheels lifted a photo of the heavily modified FJ40, slathered a quick Photoshop job over the image and called it a day. Except Mattel reportedly never asked Icon for permission to use the image or the vehicle design in its marketing or products.

Icon reportedly reached out to Mattel to no avail. That's about when the custom builder turned to its lawyers, prompting the attorney for Hot Wheels to say the company wanted to settle the matter out of court. A month went by before Icon once again tried to reach out. Mattel allegedly dismissed Icon, effectively challenging the smaller company to try to sue the toy monolith if Icon thought it stood a chance.

Hot Wheels hasn't spoken out on the issue. With five of the tiny diecasts on our desk and five hundred in a box downstairs, we've had a life-long relationship with the toymaker. But that doesn't excuse the reported bully tactics. Here's hoping this one gets squared away sooner rather than later. Check out an excerpt from the Icon newsletter below.

Continue reading Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design

Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/05/hot-wheels-accused-of-stealing-icon-fj40-baja-design/

Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

Sato: No animosity with Franchitti

Takuma Sato says that there are no hard feelings between himself and Dario Franchitti about their final-lap crash while fighting for the lead in last weekend's Indy 500.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/sato-no-animosity-with-franchitti

Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

VINTAGE: Corvette Research Car Induction

The legendary CERV-1 created by Zora Arkus Duntov is selected for the Bloomington Gold Great Hall honoring the most influential cars and people in Corvette history.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-corvette-research-car-induction/

Carl Edwards Copart Ford

LeMons Colorado Day 1: RX-7 Leads, Hyundai Accent Tops In Class C

Even with a long delay for an apocalyptic afternoon hail-and-lightning storm, the racing went on and on and on at High Plains Raceway today. The Ghetto Motorsports Mazda RX-7, winner of the 2010 and 2011 Colorado 24 Hours of LeMons races, took a two-lap lead early in the session and held onto it for the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/yUmweVeSB54/

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

Shane Lewis to Make Dubai 24H Debut

Shane Lewis Dubai 24H DUBAI - December 29, 2011 American to Start 31st Career 24-Hour Race at Middle East's Premier Event Shane Lewis began his career running open wheel races that lasted 30-minutes. Today, he has become one of the...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/shane_lewis_to_make_dubai.php

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard

Report: Hyundai gets 20,000 applicants for 877 jobs in Alabama

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai

Less than a month ago, Hyundai announced it would be adding a third shift at its Alabama assembly plant, resulting in an additional 877 jobs. You'd imagine with Alabama running a 7.2-percent unemployment rate in April - ranking right in the middle of the 50 states - competition for those jobs would be pretty serious. But nobody, least of all Hyundai, expected this. As of May 22, the automaker had received some 18,500 applications, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

To put that into perspective, the Montgomery metropolitan area has an adult population of just over 282,000, meaning the applicant pool at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama represents more than six percent of nearby residents. Hyundai was so flooded with applicants that it temporarily shut down the process on May 18, warning job seekers that any applications it received after that date would likely go unprocessed. Hyundai only expects to screen between 6,000-7,000 applicants according to the report.

The company began seeing applicants on May 14, and by working 13-hour days, it has been processing roughly 200 each day. Applicants are asked to take a multiple-choice test during the 90-minute interview and those that get asked back will be given a six-hour training course, according to the report. Hyundai expects the hiring process to be completed by mid-July, in advance of launching the third shift after Labor Day.

Hyundai gets 20,000 applicants for 877 jobs in Alabama originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/01/hyundai-gets-20-000-applicants-for-877-jobs-in-alabama/

Al Herman Hans Herrmann