Means of transportation or status symbol? Driver of social progress or cause of environmental disasters? Instrument of freedom or mechanism of slavery? Concentrate of technology or industrial dinosaur? The automobile is the unquestioned fulcrum of modern societies and of major financial investments, a place of living, a cultural and commercial catalyst, a continuous presence. We spend more time in car than with the family. It takes us longer to park than to eat. We spend more money on cars that for health. A car causes more pollution before it’s ever driven than in its entire lifetime of driving ^1.

Internet and mobile technologies makes our physical presence in the workplace or shopping malls increasingly less necessary. Nevertheless, cars get bigger and bigger, more polluting and expensive, and often carry only one person at a time. Everyone is aware that it is necessary to radically and rapidly change our mobility system to make it sustainable, less noxious, smarter. But the car companies seem to focus almost exclusively on production volumes and the search for new markets. In the list of the thirty world’s companies with bigger revenues, fifteen operate in the Automotive and Oil & Gas markets (and only three in the Financial Services market!) ^2.

Landscape Stories presents "Cars", an issue devoted to automobiles, the relationship between man and vehicle / city and street / rest and movement. 19 international photographers present their projects developed in different parts of the world, snooping around in and out the windows of cars. Along the deserted streets or city traffic. Let’s watch ourselves mirrored into the glossy bodyworks, shiny chromes and rear-view mirrors. And you, what car are you?