The Maybach marque has a remarkably distinguished heritage. The company was originally founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach with his son Karl Maybach acting as director and was known as "Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH" based in Bissingen on the Enz. In 1912 the company moved to Friedrichshafen and changed its name to Maybach Motorenbau GmbH Friedrichshafen. Today, the marque Maybach Manufaktur is owned by Daimler AG and is based in Stuttgart.
More than 100 years ago, Wilhelm Maybach built a car that pointed the way towards the modern era. His Opus No.1 went down in history as the first Mercedes, and he is still remembered as the "king of the design engineers". His son, Karl Maybach, followed his father's directions, creating further masterpieces between the 1920's through to the 1940's.
Having set many standards in terms of size, technology and performance by the end of the twenties, Maybach followed this up in the thirties with a surprise move: the introduction of a small model, known by the abbreviation SW, which stood for swing axle.
"To create only the best from the best, a vehicle that is the ultimate in wish fulfilment, with a distinctive character of the finest elegance and power" ??this is how a Maybach flyer from 1930 announced the company's aim, and it still applies at Maybach in its entirety to this day. |
