When dealerships can use stock photos, and when real vehicle photos are needed

The short answer is that stock photos sometimes work for new vehicles with standardized specs, but real vehicle photos are almost always better when you are selling a specific unit from inventory. If the shopper needs to judge condition, wheels, interior, trim, or paint tone, a generic image usually is not enough. In some ad environments, it can also become a policy issue, not just a presentation choice.

When stock photos can be reasonable

Stock photos make the most sense when a new model needs to go live quickly before the exact car has been photographed. In practice, that usually means new vehicles where multiple units look nearly identical and the goal is to show the model, body style, and general color direction until the actual car is ready. On your own site, that can be a temporary step, but it should not become the permanent image strategy for inventory units already on sale.

When real vehicle photos should be the default

• When the car is used and the shopper wants to inspect real condition, tires, wheels, paint, and interior.
• When the vehicle has packages, options, or details that a generic model image does not show accurately.
• When the same listing appears on the VDP, third-party marketplaces, and feed-based ad channels where the image needs to represent that exact unit.
• When the team wants fewer buyer questions caused by differences between the photo in the ad and the actual car on the lot.

What Google vehicle ads actually require

For dealerships using vehicle ads, this distinction matters even more. Google requires images that represent the vehicle being advertised, and for used cars the main image must show the actual vehicle. For new cars, stock photos can be allowed in some cases, but only when the image exactly matches the correct make, model, model year, and color. That makes stock photography a narrow exception, not a safe default for the whole inventory feed.

Why real photos usually win on the VDP

A VDP is not just a technical product page. It is where the shopper decides whether the vehicle feels credible, accurately represented, and worth contacting the dealership about. Generic images make it harder to judge the real wheels, lighting, condition, trim, and detail level of the actual car. For used inventory in particular, real photos are part of trust, not only presentation.

A simple model for new and used inventory

• New cars: a stock photo can be a short first step if it matches exactly and gets replaced as soon as the real vehicle is photo-ready.
• Demo units and in-stock new cars: switch to real photos as soon as the vehicle is on site, even if the gallery starts small.
• Used cars: plan for real photos from the start. Generic images quickly become a weakness for both clarity and trust.
• Mixed inventory workflows: set internal rules so the team knows which vehicles may go live temporarily with a model image and which ones must wait for actual photo delivery.

The practical goal is not to ban every model image. It is to stop temporary photos from lingering too long or leaking into channels where they do not fit. If the team already uses a clear image pipeline for the cover image, the gallery, and export rules, it becomes much easier to replace a stock photo with the real inventory image without the listing feeling unfinished. Carbooth fits best at that stage, where you want actual vehicle photos to look more consistent and publish-ready faster.