# Car Image API catalog (remote · carimage.dev)

Free vehicle lookups, image options, pricing and stored car image previews. No account needed.

- Trust score: 75/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- remote · `carimage.dev`: 75/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.38.1`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Endpoint Security**: 80/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - The HSTS (Strict-Transport-Security) header is present.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 78/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1662 tokens (~207/item across 8 items; 7 tools + 1 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 7/100
  - Stability observed for 2 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
  - Structured output schemas are declared (86% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 7 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 9 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a current MCP spec version (2026-07-28).
  - Supports UI / widget rendering.

## Install

### How do I install the Car Image API catalog MCP server?

Car Image API catalog is a hosted endpoint at https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http dev-carimage-catalog 'https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-carimage-catalog": {
      "url": "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "dev-carimage-catalog": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.dev-carimage-catalog]
url = "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "dev-carimage-catalog": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add dev-carimage-catalog --url 'https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  dev-carimage-catalog:
    url: "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "dev-carimage-catalog": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add dev-carimage-catalog -t streamable-http -u 'https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-carimage-catalog": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-05 (score 75, 0)

- [security] Tool “search_vehicles” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [functional improvement] Schema quality: 235 → 207
- [functional] The server now declares the “resources” capability
- [functional] First check of Capabilities: pass
- [functional] New resource “car-image-card”

### 2026-11-04 (score 75, +1)

- [security] Tool “search_vehicles” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03

### 2026-11-03 (score 74)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (7)

### `resolve_vehicle` (~207 tokens)

Resolve free text to image parameters

Free. The first call for any picture of a car, including one you chose yourself: turn a request such as "red 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata side view" into the catalog vehicle and exact get_car_image parameters (vehicle_id, make, model, year, view, color), plus alternative candidates and a confidence of high, medium or low. A make and model are read by the rules the image tools read them with, so this names the vehicle they would render. Pass params.vehicle_id as vehicle to get_car_image, create_car_image_urls or create_3d_model. Ask the human to choose when confidence is low or several candidates fit, and tell them when params.year is not the year they asked for (extracted.year).

Input parameters:

- `query` (string, required): What the human asked for, in words: year, make and model, plus the view and color when they named them, e.g. "red 2024 porsche 911 side view".

Output parameters:

- `cli` (string)
- `data` (object)

### `search_vehicles` (~224 tokens)

Search the vehicle catalog

Free. Browse the open vehicle catalog (1,608 makes, 42,333 models, 1990-2027) by make and/or model with typo tolerance. Returns canonical make/model names, the years each model exists and match kind; a model hit carries a stable vehicle id per year (ids, and id when the query names one year) to pass as `vehicle` to the image and 3D tools. Use it to list a make's models, to see which years exist or to let the human choose between similar models; when you already know which car is wanted, resolve_vehicle is the one call that names it.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of results (1-25).
- `query` (string, required): Free text: make and/or model, optional year, typos tolerated, e.g. "porshe 911" or "2019 f150". Fewer words find more: every word must be in the name of one catalog vehicle.
- `year` (integer): Restrict results to one model year.

Output parameters:

- `data` (object)

### `preview_car_image` (~296 tokens)

Preview a stored car image

Free, no account needed. The picture of a catalog vehicle that its public page on carimage.dev already shows, when one is stored: a 600 px WebP with ready-to-paste markdown, the view and paint it is in, and every stored view and paint. Never renders: another view, paint or size, or a vehicle with nothing stored, is an image from the account server (create_car_image_urls, 1 credit). Pass the vehicle id from resolve_vehicle or search_vehicles, plus the view and color the human asked for. Say it is a preview, and name its view and color when they differ from the request.

Input parameters:

- `color` (string): The paint the human asked for, if any (a preset, a CSS color name or a hex). Preferred when a picture in that paint is stored; never recolored here.
- `vehicle` (string, required): Stable vehicle id such as veh_395yw8tn73ff8, as resolve_vehicle (params.vehicle_id), search_vehicles and decode_vin return it. The preferred way to name a vehicle: it cannot be misspelled. It names t…
- `view` (string): The view the human asked for, if any. A stored picture in that view is preferred; otherwise the vehicle page's main picture is returned and the result says which view it is.

Output parameters:

- `data` (object)
- `request_id` (string)
- `summary` (string)

### `list_image_options` (~66 tokens)

List image options

Free. List the supported camera views (with yaw angles and aliases), the fifteen preset colors with hex swatches (any other paint is a hex color), size presets, output formats, current pricing and catalog coverage. Use it when you need to validate or explain what can be requested.

Output parameters:

- `data` (object)

### `get_pricing` (~150 tokens)

Get current pricing

Free, no account needed. The pricing document: every plan's monthly and yearly price, its vehicle images a month (a vehicle image is one vehicle in one color from one angle, delivered as often as needed), included credits (for 3D models, make logos and upgrades; credits are not sold), limits per tier and features, the one-time Image Packs (add_ons), the free tier and live 3D model cost. There is no overage. Every plan and pack has a checkout_url that works before signup (sign-in, then Stripe Checkout; nothing is charged until the human pays): hand it to the human with the price. Use before explaining costs or choosing a plan.

Output parameters:

- `data` (object)
- `request_id` (string)

### `search_help` (~137 tokens)

Search product help

Free. Find source-linked answers about pricing, terms, licensing, manufacturer rights, policies, Enterprise, delivery and account support. Suitable for drafting replies to customer questions. Submit one question at a time without personal information or full emails; queries are recorded privately to improve articles. Cite sources, do not invent missing answers or contract exceptions, and escalate unanswered parts to support.

Input parameters:

- `query` (string, required): One product question. Do not include personal information, credentials or full customer emails; queries are recorded privately to improve help articles.
- `report_gap` (boolean): Set true when prior results did not answer this question, to flag missing context for staff.

Output parameters:

- `data` (object)
- `request_id` (string)

### `describe_api` (~115 tokens)

Describe the REST API

Free. Return a compact reference of the Car Image REST API (methods, paths, parameters, credit costs, response headers, error codes, agent notes) for writing code that calls the API directly, with SDK (`@meterapp/car-image-sdk`) and CLI (`npx @meterapp/car-image`) equivalents. Optional endpoint filter.

Input parameters:

- `endpoint` (string): Filter by path fragment or keyword, e.g. "images/car", "image-urls", "vin", "3d". Omit for the full compact reference.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 75
- 2026-11-04: 75
- 2026-11-03: 74

## Common questions

### What is the Car Image API catalog MCP server?

Car Image API catalog is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as dev.carimage/catalog. Free vehicle lookups, image options, pricing and stored car image previews. No account needed. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog).

### Is the Car Image API catalog MCP server safe to use?

Car Image API catalog scores 75 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Car Image API catalog MCP server expose?

Car Image API catalog exposes 7 tools: resolve_vehicle, search_vehicles, preview_car_image, list_image_options, get_pricing, and 2 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,195 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the Car Image API catalog MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to Car Image API catalog without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

### Is the Car Image API catalog MCP server still maintained?

Car Image API catalog is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://carimage.dev/api/mcp/catalog
- Website: https://carimage.dev/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-carimage-catalog/api-mcp-catalog