The big picture ... is over
How we loved them as kids—those technical illustrations that sometimes came as fold-out posters in car magazines. And we’d hang them on the wall with such excitement, since that was the only way to enjoy our dream car. We also called them X-ray or see-through pictures because they revealed what was inside. Today’s professionals call them cutouts.
There were the technically realistic ones and the more graphic ones, where the proportions became clear when viewed from the side. Or when the manufacturer wanted to highlight the practical interior layout. But they’ve become rare. It feels like images like these haven’t been shown since around 2000, whereas in the 1960s and 1970s, that must have been the great art of graphic designers.
Compared to modern graphic design programs, where hundreds of layers are stacked on top of one another with incredible depth of field, the images back then were crude. Nevertheless, it was magical to be able to make out all those details. For the first time, you could see what was otherwise hidden beneath the metal.
The engine, exhaust, steering column, frame—everything was laid bare, down to the very last screw, so to speak. This wasn’t just awe-inspiring; you could really delve into the details and have plenty of “aha” moments—which you could then show off with in the schoolyard. Those days are gone; apart from a few experts like Günter Schranz, no one bothersto create anything like that anymore. But maybe there’s no longer any demand for it, because battery-powered SUVs just aren’t sexy anymore. Or maybe today’s kids simply don’t hang up car pictures anymore.
P.S. We’ve dedicated an entire photo collection to these “X-rays,” showcasing many long-forgotten cars in detail...
