The Weirdest Official Car Photos: When Promotion Goes Too Far
- Automotive marketing often relies on professional lighting and positioning to showcase a vehicle at its best.
- According to a report by Autocar published on April 10, 2026, most official press photos are designed to do their job quietly.
- One such example is the Amphicar 770, an amphibious vehicle produced in Germany between 1960 and 1965.
Automotive marketing often relies on professional lighting and positioning to showcase a vehicle at its best. However, some manufacturers and brands have historically departed from these norms, producing publicity materials and custom vehicles that prioritize attention and imagination over traditional aesthetics.
According to a report by Autocar published on April 10, 2026, most official press photos are designed to do their job quietly. Yet, some marketing departments have let their imaginations run wild, resulting in publicity images that are often unintentionally humorous.
Unconventional Publicity Imagery
One such example is the Amphicar 770, an amphibious vehicle produced in Germany between 1960 and 1965. The car was built by the Quandt family, who also owned a large portion of BMW. While some promotional imagery suggested the vehicle could serve as a fishing boat in suitable circumstances, one contemporary critic claimed the car promised to revolutionise drowning
.
During the 1980s, the Austin Rover press office employed similarly imaginative tactics for the Austin Maestro. One promotional image featured three Maestros
, though the third was actually a person who possessed their own personal number plate. Other photos from the same era attempted to highlight the interior space of the vehicle, though the exact intent of the imagery remained unclear.
BMW also utilized unconventional scenes in its early promotional efforts. For the BMW 700 Convertible, the company produced an image showing passengers in the car waving to a group of people leading heavily laden donkeys up a hill.
Extreme Promotional Vehicles
Beyond photography, some companies have commissioned custom-built vehicles to serve as mobile advertisements. As noted in a December 10, 2025, report from Jalopnik, this practice began as a quirky tactic for small businesses before evolving into a broader promotional trend during the final two decades of the 20th century.
The 1936 Wienermobile is recognized as one of the most iconic examples of this strategy. Many of these custom creations were engineering oddities or ergonomic nightmares, but they were effective at grabbing public attention. Some of these vehicles are now housed in museums, while others continue to operate occasionally.
In the early 1970s, the South African citrus brand Outspan unveiled the Outspan Orange. This vehicle was designed to look like the fruit it promoted, featuring a bright orange livery, a bumpy exterior resembling orange peel, and a green leaf attached to the top for effect.
The technical specifications of the Outspan Orange included:
- A round chassis constructed from two Mini subframes.
- A 998cc A-series engine, capable of reaching 60 miles per hour in a standard Mini.
- A 48-inch wheelbase.
- A 16-foot turning circle.
Despite its visual appeal, the Outspan Orange suffered from a precarious center of gravity. Due to its design, the vehicle was at risk of literally toppling over if calculations were slightly off.
These examples of extreme automotive promotion serve as reminders of a specific era of advertising where brands sought bolder, more unconventional ways to stand out before the transformation of marketing through new technology.