About a year ago I was asked to go behind the scenes and photograph the build process of a rather special car.
The brief was to create a series of images that would document what goes on under the skin of an Aston Martin One-77, and to showcase the mix of traditional hand finishes, high tech processes and exotic materials that together, form a One-77, most of which the owner would never be able to see.
The resulting collection of pictures formed a beautifully crafted leather bound presentation book, that would illustrate to each one of the seventy seven customers exactly what went in to creating their £1.2M One-77. The book was limited to a run of just over 90 copies.
Client : Aston Martin. Agency : Freestone Creative. AD : David Gray. Copywriter : Richard Meaden.
Here’s a selection of spreads from the finished book..
The carbon fibre chassis nears completion. It comprises of 3800 precisely cut pieces, and has been referred to as the worlds most expensive jigsaw puzzle.
It takes 700-hours to create the body panels for a One-77. A single front grille takes 120 hours to make.
The distinctive Aston Martin nose shape is already apparent as the panels are checked against the carbon fibre chassis.
Each part of each car is hand finished and hand fitted
7.3-litre V12 engine block detail.
It takes 12 weeks to go from an engine block to the finished engine.
Unique glimpses of the One-77′s V12. The worlds most powerful naturally aspirated production engine.
The One-77 build area.
Rare and unique views of the One-77, as each component is gradually added.
Here the engine meets the body for the first time.
Hand trimmed to the customer’s specification.. naturally.
A finished car after final inspection.
