PVC CUT-TO-SHAPE CAR SHOW SIGNS
Custom car show boards cut to the shape of your own car — designed around your vehicle, your photos and your story. Not a template you fill in.
- Designed and manufactured in Michigan
- You approve a PDF proof before we print
- Delivered in 2–3 weeks
- Damaged in shipping? We replace it and handle the claim
PVC TEXT-ONLY SIGNS
Car Show Display Boards That Get Your Car a Second Look
A car show board has one job: make people stop walking. Most signs at a show are the same rectangle on the same wobbly easel, and after the tenth one the crowd stops reading them. Ours break the rectangle. Every Show Cars Illustrated sign is cut to shape, so the main photo of your car extends out past the frame of the sign itself — that extra visual weight is what turns a walk-by into a conversation about your car.
Each sign is designed one at a time from photos you submit, along with your car’s specs, history, and whatever details you want told — the numbers-matching drivetrain, the barn where it was found, the three generations who have owned it. No templates with your photo dropped in a box. You pick the theme, we build the design around your car, and you approve the artwork before anything gets printed.
The easel matters too. Our display stands have a floor where you can set weights, so a gusty afternoon at an outdoor show — or a spectator who backs into your setup — doesn’t send your board face-down on the asphalt. The same sign works just as well indoors at winter shows, museums, and garage displays.
Match the Sign Theme to Your Car’s Era
The theme should look like it rolled out of the same decade as the car. A few pairings our customers come back to:
Patriotic and hometown-pride builds. The All American Theme is one of our most popular, and it suits almost any vehicle built in the USA. It carries the Stars and Stripes by default, but on request we’ll design it around your state flag — or another country’s flag — instead.
Pre-war and early classics. The Deco Theme borrows its lines from 1930s streamline styling — a natural fit for pre-war classics and anything with sweeping fenders.
Fifties cruisers and classic convertibles. Tri-five Chevys, finned Cadillacs, and classic convertible cars sit well against the Mid-Century Theme or the Drive-In Theme, which trades on the carhop-and-neon look of the era.
Muscle cars. Big-block Chevelles, Mopars, and Boss Mustangs belong on the Solid Muscle Theme. If your car came out of Detroit, the Motor City Theme says so before anyone reads a word. And if your car’s history was made somewhere other than Detroit, the background photo can be customized to match its story.
Hot rods and customs. The TC Hot Rod Theme was drawn for chopped, channeled, and flamed builds, and the Route 66 Theme suits anything that looks at home on old blacktop.
Race and track cars. The Raceway Theme carries the checkered-flag language of vintage motorsport.
European and import classics. Jaguars, Porsches, and Alfas pair with the Grand Touring Theme or the International Theme.
Most cars look right on two or three of these themes, so the final call comes down to which one you like best. Pick your favorite and order it — the design gets built around your car either way. If you’re truly torn, send us a question through the contact page and we’ll tell you which theme we’d pick for your car.
Selling a Classic or Collector Car? Let a Board Make the Case
Serious buyers of collectable cars want the story and the specs before they want a handshake. A text-only spec board next to a classic car for sale answers the questions every browser asks — engine, transmission, restoration history, ownership chain — while you talk with the buyer who matters. Sellers use them at shows, cruise-ins, auctions, and consignment showrooms, and the board goes home with the car as part of its documentation. For old classic cars with real provenance, that presentation is often the difference between a lookie-loo and an offer.
PVC or Aluminum?
The cut-to-shape signs on this page are printed on rigid PVC — light enough to carry in one hand, sturdy enough for a full season of shows. For concours events, dealership showrooms, and collections where the sign will be on permanent display, we also make rectangular aluminum car show signs in 16×24 up to 30×40 sizes, with the same custom design process.
Common Questions
What does a board cost?
- PVC cut-to-shape boards — $155 for the 24-inch, $205 for the 36-inch
- Text-only spec boards — $75 for the 24-inch, $150 for the 36-inch
- Aluminum signs — $349.95 (16×24), $449.95 (20×30), $549.95 (24×36), $649.95 (30×40)
- Carrying cases — $39.99 for the 24-inch, $49.99 for the 36-inch
Shipping is calculated at checkout.
How long does it take to get my board?
Two to three weeks from the time we have your photos and vehicle information, assuming no delays at the proofing stage.
If you need it sooner, tell us. We don’t charge extra to move a job up and we’ll do what we can — though we can’t promise a date until we know what’s in the queue. For a genuinely tight deadline the constraint is usually shipping rather than production: overnight freight on a 36-inch board can cost about as much as the board, so ordering early is far cheaper than shipping fast.
Ordering for a specific show? Count back three weeks from the date you need it in hand. That’s your order-by date.
Are your show boards made in the United States?
Yes. Every board is designed by our team in Michigan. Our aluminum signs are manufactured in the United States — the aluminum itself is US-made and the printing is done in Minnesota. Our PVC boards are produced in Michigan.
Do I get to see it before it’s printed?
Yes, always. We send a PDF proof for your review before anything goes into production. That’s the time to make corrections, and we don’t produce the board until everything is resolved. Most boards are approved after a round or two, and we keep working until it’s right.
What if something’s wrong with the finished board?
Because you approve a proof before we print, the design is settled before production starts — that’s where most problems get caught.
If a board arrives damaged, we replace it. We file the claim with the shipper ourselves, so it isn’t something you have to deal with.
What’s the difference between a car show board, sign, and placard?
Nothing but the name. Car show boards, show signs, spec boards, and car show placards all refer to the display that stands beside your vehicle. Ours combine the photo display and the spec sheet in one piece.
Will it stand up outdoors?
Yes. The PVC signs are made for outdoor shows, and the easel’s weighted floor keeps the display planted in wind. Plenty of customers use the same sign indoors all winter.
What do you need from me to start?
Good photos of your car and the details you want on the sign. Our Photo Tips page shows how to shoot your car so the cut-to-shape effect looks its best. You approve the final artwork before we print, so you can place your order knowing you will sign off on the final copy.
What do you do with my photos?
Every board includes professional retouching, color correction and enhancement — it’s part of what you’re buying, not an add-on. We work with what you send to get the best possible result at full size.
Some things can’t be undone, and we’ll be straight with you about it. Heavy reflections on dark, high-gloss paint can be removed, but not without dulling the shine that makes the paint look right. If a photo won’t hold up, we’ll tell you before we start, and we’ll help you get one that will. Our Photo Tips page covers what makes a photo work.
Are the themes templates?
No. Every layout is built around your specific car. The themes are a starting point — they carry the design decisions most people don’t want to make themselves, like which typefaces, colors and graphic elements suit a particular era of vehicle. From there the board is designed around your car, your photos and your information.
Our PVC boards are also cut to shape, so the outline follows your own vehicle rather than a rectangle. No two are the same shape.
What’s the difference between the PVC boards and the aluminum signs?
PVC boards are cut to shape around your vehicle’s outline and come with a weighted easel back — they’re the practical choice for most shows, and they can be updated cheaply as the car changes.
Aluminum signs are rectangular, and the image is infused into the aluminum surface so it won’t peel or fade. They’re built for owners who want a permanent piece for a finished car, and they travel well — we ship them to hotels and auction venues regularly.
Can you ship to my hotel at a show or auction?
Yes. We ship to hotels regularly, and in some cases directly to the show office. Just give us the delivery details and the date you need it there.
I changed my car. Can you update my board?
Yes, and it costs a fraction of what a new board would. We keep every order in our library indefinitely, so we still have your original file.
Updates cover text and specification changes, and if you’ve got a better photo we’ll usually swap it in at the same time. Get in touch with your original order details and we’ll quote you.