Where are most car commercials filmed?

Where are most car commercials filmed?

Exploring the global highways, studio lots, and dreamscapes behind today’s automotive ads

(By Carmichael Phillip)

If you’ve ever watched a slick car commercial and wondered, “Where did they shoot that stunning highway sunset or that dramatic off-road canyon?”, you’re not alone. Automotive advertising often uses visually rich backdrops to elevate the vehicle, its story, and its brand. In this article we’ll examine where car commercials are typically filmed—both geographically and infrastructurally. We’ll look at major hubs like Los Angeles, scenic foreign locations like Croatia, as well as studio & desert lots in California, and discuss why these places have become favourites for automakers and agencies alike.

A go-to for many car commercials is Southern California, especially Los Angeles. As reported by industry publication Car and Driver, “car commercial locations are as much about weather and permitting as about roads” — and L.A. ticks both boxes.

Key reasons include:

Consistently reliable weather which keeps shooting predictable (lots of sunshine with minimal rain delays).

Diverse geography within easy driving distance: you can get city skyscrapers, highways, desert roads, coastal cliffs, studio soundstages—all within an hour or two.

A well-established local film infrastructure: crews, permits, agencies, cameras, gaffers—everything is present.

Locations that allow control: e.g., bridges over the L.A. River or cleared freeway overpasses make great canvases for car ads. The blog “Slices of Blue Sky” notes many car commercials shot over the 5th Street over-crossing of the 110 freeway in downtown L.A. with minimal intrusion.

So if you’re wondering where most car commercials are filmed, the short answer is “so many in and around L.A.”. But that’s just the start—global locations play a big part too.

Beyond the standard studio or urban roadscape, many car manufacturers shoot in exotic, cinematic landscapes to emphasize drama, performance, freedom — the brand’s promise. For example:

Croatia has been highlighted as “one of the most popular locations to film car advertising” thanks to its spectacular roads, coastline and mountainous terrain.

The blog “Drive It Like You Sold It” lists six epic locations for car commercials: South Africa’s Chapman’s Peak, Morocco’s Dades Gorge, Australia’s Queensland sugar-cane roads, among others.

These kinds of location shoots help elevate the commercial into something more than “car on road” — they become mini narratives of adventure and aspiration.

In short: while many commercials begin locally (e.g., L.A.), the “wow” spots often come from global travel. For automakers selling to a worldwide market, these sweeping vistas help underline the universal appeal of mobility.

Some of the most dramatic car commercials don’t happen on “real” public roads at all, but in controlled lots or remote desert terrain. Examples:

In California’s desert region near Ridgcrest / Trona Pinnacles, crews filmed multiple automobile commercials. According to the local film-commission report, the region hosts “ten automobile commercials were filmed in the area in 2023”.

Using desert roads and dry-lake beds makes it easier to simulate exaggerated driving, high speeds, stunts, or sweeping scenery without public-traffic constraints.

Studio lots in and around Los Angeles provide further control: production can build purpose-built roads, ramp up lighting rigs, do multi-take sequences without interfering with the public.

Thus: the “most car commercials” may be filmed in familiar places like L.A., but many of the most cinematic ones take advantage of remote or specially prepared sets.

Beyond geography and scenery, practical and financial considerations shape filming-location decisions for car commercials:

Many regions offer film-tax credits, rebates or incentives for commercials; this makes them cost-effective. For example, in California, the state is expanding its Film & TV Tax Credit Program which benefits commercials as well.

Local film commissions and authorities that make permitting easier are a plus. For example, the San Francisco Peninsula region advertises its variation of terrain and production assistance for commercials.

International hubs (Europe, Asia, Latin America) may offer novel roads or landscapes as well as lower costs — which is why BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche are drawn to places like Pag island in Croatia.

Thus: the choice of filming location is strategic — scenery matters, but so do logistics, budgets and incentives.

Let’s break down the three main location categories and why they’re used:

Urban & familiar settings: These are city streets, bridges, overpasses — like many locations in L.A. where you can see recognizable landmarks in the background. They help tie the vehicle to real-world driving and metropolitan lifestyle. (See earlier L.A. example.)

Exotic & scenic roads: Mountain passes, coastal highways, deserts, islands. These are used for visuals that evoke emotion, aspiration, performance. They help the car “look good” — even if the actual driving scenario is more fantasy than reality.

Controlled lots or studios: These are used when the commercial needs precision, stunts, lighting, special effects, VFX, or closed-set conditions. They give production teams full control over environment, weather, timing, and safety.

Most car commercials will mix elements of these categories: a bit of urban, a bit of scenic, and the studio magic behind the scenes.

To answer the question: there’s no single location where all car commercials are filmed, but patterns emerge:

A large proportion are filmed in and around major production hubs such as Los Angeles and Southern California, thanks to infrastructure, weather, and variety of terrain.

Many high-end or cinematic car ads travel internationally to places like Croatia, Morocco, Australia or South Africa for striking visuals.

Controlled environments (desert, dry lakebeds, studio lots) are heavily used for the most visually ambitious sequences where safety or logistics require full production control.

Location decisions are driven by a blend of scenery, brand story-needs, budget, production logistics and local incentives.

So if you’re looking for a short phrase: “Most car commercials are filmed near major production hubs (like L.A.), with supplemental shoots in exotic/global locations and controlled sets.”

What does this tell us?

For filmmakers or location scouts: understanding where car ads are made is valuable. It tells you where infrastructure is, what kinds of landscapes attract auto brands, and where the incentives are.

For brands: choosing the right location is part of the storytelling. Want to sell “urban sophistication”? Use a cityscape. Want to sell “freedom and performance”? Take to the mountain roads or coastlines.

For viewers: next time you see a car commercial and it looks unreal in its scale or beauty, you now know that part of that specialness comes from where it was filmed.

Car commercials fuse brand narrative, driving fantasy and visual spectacle—and the locations chosen are as important as the vehicle itself. From the busy bridges of Los Angeles to the wind-swept highways of Croatia, from desert lots to studio roads, every setting tells part of the story. Next time you watch a slick auto ad, look past the chrome and rims and ask: “Where did they shoot this?” Chances are it’s a strategic mash-up of hub infrastructure, exotic locale and production control—crafted to make the car look as good as the brand wants you to believe.

Whether it’s “most” in L.A. or “best” in the Alps, the world is the driver’s stage—and now you know a bit more about how the scenery got there.

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