When an active-duty US Air Force flight engineer brought his white 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat to MetroWrapz seeking a unique design to match his passion for military aviation history, the wrap team knew the project would be their most complicated to date. The client wanted his car to look like an embattled World War II-era P51 Mustang fighter aircraft.
Designers from MetroWrapz – a division of Metro Group Miami, a full-service sign and graphic studio serving South Florida for more than 30 years – created the artwork from historic photos to keep the design authentic to the original aircraft.
The team used an HP Latex 570 to print onto Avery Dennison SF100 Silver Conform Chrome as the base layer, with Avery Dennison DOL 1080Z matte lamination, to give the wrap the requested look and shine of old metal, says Carlos Alverio, MetroWrapz general manager and lead wrap installer. They also used Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Supercast film.
“Special details, such as rust and bullet holes, were positioned perfectly over the entire body of the car, helping to bring these realistic attributes of a war-torn car to life with intricate attention to detail in both design and the choice of materials, and printing capabilities. In addition to wrapping the vehicle, interior graphics were used on the engine and other areas for a total and more complete visual appeal,” Alverio says.
All of that attention to detail paid off; the vehicle took the top prize in Avery Dennison’s 2018 Wrap Like a King competition.
From printing to wrapping to completion, the team finished the project in three days.