About MaybachIn 1907, Wilhelm Maybach left his position of technical director of Daimler Motors, and in 1909, he started Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH.The family name was inserted in the company in 1912, renaming it Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH. Up until 1919, the company's prime focus was developing engines for Zeppelins and rail cars. Maybach's first experimental motorcar was completed later that year.Wilhelm and his son Karl took their first car to the Berlin Motor Show in 1921. The Type W3 garnered enough response to prompt the duo to continue manufacturing automobiles. The cars were hand-built to the purchasing customer's specifications. "To create only the best from the best, a vehicle that is the ultimate in wish fulfillment, with a distinctive character of the finest elegance and power" announced a 1930 company flyer. Among the more opulent vehicles produced was the 1928-34 Type Zeppelin DS 8. The 8.0-liter V12 put... View more out 200 hp, making it among the most powerful production cars of its time. It needed to be though, as the car could weigh up to 6,600 pounds, depending on coachwork. The cost of these cars could exceed $9,500 in 1930 dollars. Approximately 1,800 vehicles were produced in the twenty years before WWII. During the war, the company continued to produce the same types of diesel and gas engines they had built since their inception. The Panzer III tank was powered by a 296-hp Maybach twelve-cylinder. Automotive production wasn't restarted after WWII. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960, and changed the name of the commercial engine manufacturer to MTU Friedrichshafen in 1969. In fact, the Maybach name wouldn't reappear until 1997, this time on a Mercedes-Benz concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The marque was resurrected as a standalone brand in 2003, with just two models built: the 57 and 62. The designations are based on the cars length in decimeters. As was the case with the classic Maybach models, the current ones are powerful, opulent and heavy. The least powerful 57 still has 518 hp, while all of the models are 6,000-plus pounds. Prices have been consistently above $300,000 per new vehicle, with the Landaulet model eclipsing $1 million. The Zeppelin name was revived in 2009 for even higher performance variants of the 57 and 62. Sales for the new Maybach were predicted at 2,000 annually; those results have yet to happen. In the first eight years of production, 2004 stands as the highest grossing year in terms of U.S. sales, with 244 units sold. The recession in late 2008 cost the company almost 50% of its U.S. sales--119 down to 66--and 25% worldwide. Rumors were circulating that Daimler-Benz was considering cancellation of the brand. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche went on the record in 2009, stating that "it doesn't matter" if the car makes a return on investment, because it has proven itself competitive with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The parent company paired with Aston Martin for an announcement in early 2011 of no less than five new or redeveloped variants. Modern production takes place in Sindelfingen, Germany at the Center of Excellence. And the cars are still hand-built. The company features a bespoke one-off service that lays claim to a possible 2 million-plus variations per vehicle. View less | |||
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