history
Someone once said that Maybach is the German word for “opulence” and judging by the quality of their vehicles, it's safe to say that conception is not far from the truth. The Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH by its full name is a car company that prides itself of making the most exclusive vehicles.
Maybach was started in1909 by Wilhelm Maybach together with his son Karl. Maybach had previously worked with Daimler Company. More to the point, Maybach was in charge of developing and building different types of diesel and engines for various vehicles.
Gradually, those engine-building skills were put to good use as in 1919 the first prototype car bearing the double M logo was built by the company and then showcased at the Berlin Motor Show. That was only the starting point for the German manufacturer who continued to better its cars until 1940. These became a trademark of luxury and it wasn't a surprise to see some royal or important figure rolling in one of these models.
Parallel to building very expensive cars, Maybach retained their heritage and continued to produce diesel engines for marine and rail vehicles. When the war came, Maybach too joined the war effort and provided Tiger and Panther tanks with engines. But unlike many other car manufacturers that restarted production once the war was over, Maybach never picked up where it left off, despite making repair on its plant.
20 years later, it was merged with the company that had started it all: Daimler AG, who bought the rights to the Maybach name. However, the brand was shelved for a long time, so long that many forgot it ever existed.
The rude awakening they got was in 1997 when Mercedes decided to spring a very interesting concept on the unsuspecting world: the Mercedes-Benz Maybach. The surprise was eventually on Mercedes because the car enjoyed immense success, enough to convince team to mass-produce a vehicle under the Maybach logo.
Starting with the year 2000, the Maybach brand was relaunched with a luxury model that came in two sizes: the Maybach 57 and the Maybach 62 (the numbers stand for the length of the car in decimeters). Then, in 2005 came the 57S with a more powerful engine and some body modifications to help it achieve a more sporty look.
What makes these cars different from any other product on the market (apart from the ridiculous number of features on every car) is the fact that almost every aspect of the car is customizable. With almost two million equipment option combinations, it's safe to say that if you purchase a Maybach, there isn't going to be another one like it on the street.
Not wanting to stop there, Maybach has announced 4 new models: a 4-seat coupe, a luxury SUV cross-over,a Landaulet convetible and a smaller sedan. In 2005 they also showed to the world a very stylish prototype coupe called the Exelero.
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