Maybach

Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (German pronunciation: maɪbax; is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.

Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by Daimler AG and based in Stuttgart. Tognum AG based in Friedrichshafen manufactures the commercial Maybach diesel engines under the MTU brand through its subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH.

Daimler announced in November 2011 that Maybach will cease to be a brand by 2013.

Early history

Maybach has historic roots through the involvement of Wilhelm Maybach, who was the technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909 he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company"), with his son Karl Maybach as director.[citation needed] In 1912 they renamed it to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH ("Maybach Engine Construction Company"). The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. The Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.
Captured Maybach T3 Assault Gun (Sturmgeschütz III), made on the basis of medium tank Maybach T3 (Panzer III). National Museum of Military History (Bulgaria)

The company first built an experimental car in 1919, with the first production model introduced two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced various classic opulent vehicles. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes. During the second world war, Maybach produced the engines for Nazi Germany's medium and heavy tanks.

After WW II the factory performed some repair work, but automotive production was never restarted, and some 20 years later, the company was renamed MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960.

In 1997, Mercedes-Benz presented at the Tokyo Motorshow a luxury concept car under the name Mercedes-Benz Maybach (V12, 5987 cc, 550 hp). Mercedes-Benz decided to develop and market the car under the sole brand name of Maybach, as parent Daimler wanted an ultra-luxury marque to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley, which recently came under the ownership of Daimler's domestic rivals BMW and Volkswagen Group. Maybach was therefore revived as a brand in the early 2000s. The company offered various options for customers to personalise their vehicles, and provides various equipment combinations.

Production of the new model commenced in two sizes — the Maybach 57 and the Maybach 62. The numbers are equal to the lengths of the automobiles in decimetres. In 2005, the new 57S was added, sporting a 6.0L V12 bi-turbo engine, producing 604 bhp (450 kW) and 737 lb·ft (999 N·m) of torque, and featuring various cosmetic touches.

To promote the new Maybach line, Mercedes-Benz has tapped public figures to act as brand ambassadors, including Maybach heir Ulrich Schmid-Maybach and golfer Nick Faldo.[4][5]
Several Maybach 57 and 62 models at the 2005 Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, CA.

The base price of a 2009 Maybach 57 was $344,000; the Maybach 57 S, $381,000; the Maybach 62, $394,000; the Maybach 62 S, $430,000, and the Maybach Landaulet semi convertible costs just over 1 million. The Maybach 57 Zeppelin is priced at €406,000 ($580,000) and the 62 Zeppelin at €473,200 ($677,000).[6]

Initially, Daimler-Chrysler predicted annual sales of 2,000 global units with 50% coming from the United States; however, such lofty sales expectations never materialized. In 2007 Mercedes bought back 29 US dealers, reducing the total from 71 to 42.

2013 cessation

With less than stellar sales expectations and heavy impact of 2008 financial crises, Daimler AG undertook a review of the whole Maybach division.[10] These included talks with Aston Martin to engineer and style the next generation of Maybach models along with the next generation of Lagonda models.[3] According to Automotive News, only 44 Maybachs have been sold in the U.S. up to October 2011 year to date.

However, on 25 November 2011, Daimler announced that sales of all Maybach models and the brand would cease in 2013.

The line will be replaced by Mercedes-Benz S-Class Pullman models. An executive told a Frankfurt newspaper that: "(Daimler) came to the conclusion that the sales chances for the Mercedes brand were better than that of Maybach."

One suggestion for Maybach's struggles was that parent Daimler had failed to differentiate it from its Mercedes-Benz brand. While all three ultra-luxury marques share platforms and engines with other luxury brands from their parent auto company, Maybachs are built alongside the Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship sedan, whereas Rolls-Royce and Bentley are assembled in England (separate from the rest of BMW and Volkswagen Group's production plants) and thus are regarded as being more "exclusive". Furthermore the Maybach's pedigree was virtually unknown outside of Germany unlike its British rivals which have long enjoyed renown worldwide;[3] indeed the 2006 Rolls-Royce Phantom's interior evokes memories of a 1930s car while the Maybach 57S's inside makes no reference to its marque's history.

Une suggestion pour les luttes de Maybach a été le parent Daimler avait omis de le différencier de son marque Mercedes-Benz. Bien que les trois plates-formes ultra-luxe Marques part et des moteurs au autres marques de luxe de leur entreprise automobile parent, Maybach sont construites le long de la berline phare de Mercedes-Benz Classe S, tandis que Rolls-Royce et Bentley sont assemblés en Angleterre et sont donc considérés comme des étant plus «exclusif».

Одно из предложений для борьбы Maybach было то, что родитель Daimler не смог отличить его от Mercedes-Benz бренда. Хотя все три ультра-роскошных марок доля платформ и двигателей с другими люксовыми брендами из их компании автоматической родителя, Maybachs строятся рядом с Mercedes-Benz S-Class флагманский седан, в то время как Rolls-Royce и Bentley собираются в Англии и, таким образом, рассматривается как более «эксклюзивный».

หนึ่งคำแนะนำสำหรับการต่อสู้ Maybach เป็นที่พ่อแม่เดมเลอร์ได้ล้มเหลวที่จะแตกต่างจากยี่ห้อ Mercedes - Benz ของ ในขณะที่ทั้งสามแบบ Ultra - หรูหรา Marques แพลตฟอร์มร่วมกันและเครื่องยนต์ที่มีแบรนด์หรูอื่น ๆ จาก บริษัท รถยนต์ของพวกเขาผู้ปกครอง Maybachs ถูกสร้างขึ้นพร้อมกับของ Mercedes - Benz ซีดานเรือธง S - Class ในขณะที่ บริษัท Rolls - Royce และเบนท์ลีย์จะประกอบในประเทศอังกฤษและจึงมีการยกย่องว่าเป็น ถูกมาก"เฉพาะ"

Et forslag for Maybach sin kamp var at foreldrene Daimler hadde mislyktes i å skille det fra sin Mercedes-Benz merkevare. Mens alle tre ultra-luksus Marques dele plattformer og motorer med andre luksusmerker fra sine foreldre auto selskap, er Maybachs bygget sammen med Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse flaggskip sedan, mens Rolls-Royce og Bentley er montert i England og dermed regnes som blir mer "eksklusivt".   

وكان اقتراح واحد للصراعات مايباخ بأن دايملر الأم قد فشلت في التفريق بينه وبين العلامة التجارية مرسيدس بنز والخمسين. في حين أن حصة كل ثلاثة ماركيز فائق الفخامة منصات ومحركات وغيرها من الماركات العالمية الفاخرة من الشركة الأم السيارات ، ويتم بناؤها Maybachs جنبا إلى جنب مع سيارة مرسيدس بنز الفئة - S الرئيسي، في حين يتم تجميعها رولز رويس وبنتلي في انكلترا، وبالتالي تعتبر يجري المزيد من "حصرية".