Unraveling the politics behind our rides
After the war, the Maybach marque developed into a brand name for automobiles that were typically very large, powerful, and luxurious. The Maybach W5 (pictured) was the ultimate luxury vehicle built in 1926 in Germany.
Wilhelm Maybach was a German engineer who worked with Gottlieb Daimler to design combustion engines.
In 1907, Maybach left Daimler to found Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH together with his son Karl. The company manufactured Zeppelin engines, including the Maybach Mb.IVa—one of the world's first series-produced engines designed specifically for high-altitude use.
The Second World War saw Maybach producing the engines for most of Nazi Germany's tanks and half-tracks, notably the Panzer and Tiger Tank. The engine plant was located at Friedrichshafen, which was heavily bombed by the Allies towards the end of the conflict. After the war, the factory performed some repair work, but car production never resumed. The Maybach brand became dormant.
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH was in fact a subsidiary of Zeppelin. During the First World War, Zeppelins were employed as the first long distance strategic bombers, launching numerous raids upon Belgium, France, and Great Britain. The airships were powered by Maybach Mb.IVa engines.
Friedrich Wilhelm von Meister (pictured), the representative of the Zeppelin organization's activities in the United States, was the owner of the first Maybach car in America.
Karl Maybach developed the Maybach Typ 12 Cabriolet in honor of his father, who lived long enough to see the automobile reach the roads (Maybach senior died on December 29, 1929). Powering the car was a massive V12 engine, the same as that used in the Zeppelin airships. The cabin, meanwhile, was fitted with luxurious materials such as wood veneers and leather seats.
In 1930, Karl Maybach introduced the Zeppelin range of Maybach automobiles. These huge 8-liter vehicles were engineering monuments, with the carmaker installing a luxurious interior with leather upholstery, wood veneers, and chromed metallic parts for switches and gauges. Pictured is the Maybach Zeppelin DS8 Stromlinien—the largest car on exhibition at the 1933 International Automobile Show in Berlin.
Stromlinien translates into English as "streamline," and no other early Maybach conjures up the description better than the Typ SW35. Maybach chose coachwork company Spohn to custom design the body, the result being the curved aerodynamic characteristics the model is famous for.
A 1930's poster advertises the Maybach luxury car brand, with the tagline reading "For the mountains without shifting gear"—the implication being that the vehicle is powerful enough to tackle steep inclines without a gear change.
By the mid-1930s, Maybach automobiles were the vehicles of choice for many wealthy individuals seeking a bespoke driving experience. Interiors were designed to offer the greatest level of comfort using expensive materials and high-end craftsmanship. Typically, the cost of a Maybach Zeppelin saloon in the early 1930s was around 36,000 Reichsmark (approximately US$151,000), enough to buy three detached houses. Incidentally, $151,000 in 1933 is the equivalent in today's money to a staggering $3.5 million, adjusted for inflation.
In 1997, Daimler-Benz unveiled a luxury concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. It was the first time in decades that the once familiar Maybach hood ornament had been seen identifying a vehicle brand.
A production model based on the concept vehicle was launched in 2002 in two sizes, the Maybach 57 and the Maybach 62. Both were seen as rivals to Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Maybach worked with Daimler to produce the three-wheeled Daimler Stahlradwagen. This was effectively the first vehicle associated with the Maybach brand. It was demonstrated at the Paris Exposition of 1889.
The Maybach 57 had a starting price of nearly US$315,00 considerably more money than a Rolls-Royce Phantom. The asking price of the Maybach 62—unveiled in style in the United States outside Wall Street's Regent Hotel—was $349,000.
To promote the Maybach line, Mercedes-Benz engaged figures such as Maybach heir Ulrich Schmid-Maybach to extol the virtues of the luxury vehicle. He later established the Wilhelm & Karl Maybach Foundation to showcase Maybach engineering and design heritage to inspire innovation.
The S versions of both the Maybach 57 and 62 were launched in 2006. Each featured enhanced technological innovation and sumptuous custom-crafted interiors. The Maybach 62S was priced at an eye-watering US$493,000!
In 2007, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Maybach 62 Landaulet. Just eight of these dream cars were made, each costing a cool US$1.35 million.
While the Maybach attracted a small collection of high net worth individuals, global sales were disappointing. In 2015, the Maybach S600 was unveiled, replete with digital cockpit that responded to spoken requests.
Next in line was the Maybach S650 Cabriolet. Applauded for its sleek, sexy lines, the S650 was still only available to the privileged few with US$301,600 to spare.
In 2017, Mercedes-Benz revealed the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet. Designed as an electric car and described as demonstrating a new and sensual synthesis of intelligence and emotion, the Maybach Vision 6 had its fans, including Canadian rapper Drake, who willingly parted with US$2 million for the privilege of owning one.
The 2023 launch of the Maybach S580e is an ultra-luxurious version of the Mercedes S-class and is the Maybach division's first hybrid, essentially the first Maybach-badged car that can be plugged in. It's on sale only in Europe and China.
Still counting on its celebrity clout and VIP credentials, Maybach produced the S600 Pullman, arguably the most opulent limo ever manufactured. At 6.5 m (21 ft), the S 600 featured an interior akin to a private jet. Wrapped in exclusive saddle brown leather and equipped with a foldable flatscreen, the Pullman represented the very best in luxury and exclusivity. Examples retailed at US$1.56 million.
Project Maybach is the name given to a legacy collaboration between the late American fashion designer Virgil Abloh and Gorden Wagener, chief design officer with Mercedes-Benz. The partnership produced two unique Maybach vehicles: a massive, solar powered roadster designed for luxury off-roading (pictured), and a reimagined S680 roadster—the Virgil Abloh Maybach S680.
Sources: (House of Maybach) (Maybach Icons of Luxury) (Smithsonian Institution) (myAutoWorld) (autoevolution)
See also: The making of Mercedes
And Maybach quicky became a fashion icon in its own right. In 2009, the vehicle was centerpiece in an advertising campaign photographed by top celebrity snapper David LaChapelle.
In fact, Drake is a big fan of the Maybach. He was spotted using a EQS SUV while filming a music video in his hometown of Toronto in 2021. Dressed in Prada, he was snapped rapping while leaning out of the window of the US$200,000 vehicle.
Also launched in 1939, the Maybach SW 35/38 lineup was a last-gasp by the carmaker to increase its presence in the German market. But with war on the horizon, fuel became scarce and Maybach's new models did little to dampen Hitler's enthusiasm for vehicles manufactured by Mercedes-Benz.
Sean "Diddy" Combs was so enamored by the Maybach that he promptly purchased a model for his son Justin's 16th birthday.
As the 1930s progressed, Maybach cars got bigger, better, and even more expensive. The SW42 range was introduced in 1939. Maybach attempted to attract orders from the government, but Mercedes-Benz was the carmaker preferred by the Third Reich.
In 1960 Daimler-Benz purchased Maybach. Throughout the 1960s, Maybach was mainly used to make engines for special editions of Mercedes cars, specifically those in the carmaker's S-Class range. It would be another 40 years or so before a new Maybach line would be launched.
The new Maybach line caught the attention of numerous celebrities. Charlie Sheen (pictured) was an early customer. Soon the likes of Madonna, Jay Leno, Kanye West, and Samuel L. Jackson had bought into the restored luxury brand.
Mention the automobile brand Maybach, and you'll likely be met by blank stares. And no surprise. Few people have heard of this historic motoring nameplate. Yet Maybach is up there with Rolls-Royce and Bentley as one of the most luxurious motorcar marques in the world. And one of the most expensive! The Maybach S600 Pullman, for example, will set you back a cool US$1.56 million. So, why is Maybach unfamiliar to all but the most avid of car enthusiasts, and what's the the story behind this prestigious German motorcar?
Click through and find out the rich history that's steered the Maybach.
Maybach: the luxury motorcar few have heard of
What's the story behind this prestigious German automobile?
LIFESTYLE Cars
Mention the automobile brand Maybach, and you'll likely be met by blank stares. And no surprise. Few people have heard of this historic motoring nameplate. Yet Maybach is up there with Rolls-Royce and Bentley as one of the most luxurious motorcar marques in the world. And one of the most expensive! The Maybach S600 Pullman, for example, will set you back a cool US$1.56 million. So, why is Maybach unfamiliar to all but the most avid of car enthusiasts, and what's the the story behind this prestigious German motorcar?
Click through and find out the rich history that's steered the Maybach.