The Many Patterned World of Automotive Spy Shots


Spy shots are the freelance automotive photographer’s bread and butter. Like the paparazzi who snap Bruce Willis’ beer gut hanging over his Speedos or Jessica Alba stuffing herself at McDonald’s, it’s the photos the stars don’t want us to see that rake in the big bucks.
Who are these “stars”, you ask? Why, none other than the latest and greatest models from the world’s carmakers. And, like celebrities behaving badly, these are the photos the manufacturers don’t want you - or their competitors - to see.
The New York Times has an article on the supposedly new trend of covering test mules in slick, artsy vinyl. The bulky rubber bumper extensions and tape on the headlights and windows are gone, replaced with swirls, triangles, checks and other, more curious shapes rendered in black and white.