…
The Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, as photographed by Uwe Duettmann.
…
The Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss is a limited-edition roadster (only 75 were manufactured) that can hit 217 MPH. And since it has no windshield, I’m betting that one gets a very special rush when driving it. As Motor Trend wrote in a preview of the SLR, the car is a tribute to British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, “the man crazy enough to drive a Formula 1-based car 1,000 miles flat out at an average speed of nearly 100 mph—all with little more than an open-face helmet and goggles protecting him from the violently onrushing air and debris.” That’s right, he covered a thousand miles in a little over 10 hours. After that, walking to the mailbox must have seemed like an eternity for him.
To promote this special auto, Mercedes commissioned a special campaign, and they hired Uwe Duettmann—via Jung von Matt/Neckar in Stuttgart, Germany—to shoot it. I asked Uwe (who, in between jobs, is busily composing his responses to questions I sent him about his AIDS-awareness ads) about what it was like photographing a car that, as he puts it, was made “for enthusiastic drivers, not designed for practical reasons.”
…
What was the brief?
To create photography on a high level, and it should look elegant and interesting.
This is a car which stands for the brand Mercedes as no other. It’s a legendary racecar of the ’50s, now completely reinterpreted. The car costs over 1 million euros and was sold out before production started. It was made for enthusiastic drivers, not designed for practical reasons. It’s meant only for driving pleasure and enjoyment. Therefore, it’s open, with no roof and only little windshields instead of a windshield. The point of the whole project was not to make money with the car but to push the image of Mercedes.
What look and feel were you going for, and how did you map out your approach?
With all of my projects, I integrate influences of art, new publications, and films.
The given facts were the car was secret. It was a one-to-one plasticene model, with no engine, weighing 3 tons and not easy to maneuver. The CD did not want to have a CGI shoot. Only the details which were not finished should be integrated later on with 3D. [Uwe worked with Piqture on the CGI elements.] For a special project like this, I wanted to show my ability for lighting, my sense of color, and my artistic view.
Where did you shoot the ads and over what period of time?
The locations were in different cities in Germany. The car was shot in a studio in Stuttgart. The light we adapted to the locations, plus we optimized it to show the design.
The lighting has a real superhero quality, as if this vehicle has special powers.
I envisioned it as if one big light from the universe was highlighting the car. I call it “finger of God” light. As in interesting science-fiction movies, I wanted to create a realistic, modern look—but also an atmosphere full of secrets.
…
…
