Maybach - history of brand

Stuttgart, May 22, 2002
Wilhelm and Karl Maybach are unable to resist the attraction of the new and unexplored. Consequently, following father Wilhelm's departure from the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in 1907, they decide to seek a future in airship travel, an industry which was still in its infant stages but also enormously popular. This concludes the automotive chapter of Wilhelm and Karl Maybach's lives – for the moment at least. They turn their attention to designing powerplants which are noteworthy for their unparalleled safety and exemplary reliability. They are also contemplating more ambitious projects still, including plans for a jumbo aeroplane to be used for transatlantic flights which is to be manufactured in co-operation with Hellmuth Hirth and Gustav Klein from Bosch. The outbreak of the First World War means that the plans only come to fruition many years later though.

Despite the turmoil caused by the war, Karl Maybach remains undeterred. In 1916, he starts to build a house in Friedrichshafen at 21 Zeppelinstra?e. Here, he exchanges over 150 letters with his father. All contain detailed explanations of designs, sketches, drawings, problems with engines. They are seldom of a personal nature, in fact Wilhelm Maybach even criticises inaccuracies and careless mistakes: "above mentioned transmission is drawn too hurriedly and not all details of the design are complete," is one of his remarks. Another time he comments, "A matter as serious as transmissions must not be neglected in any way."

The world's first high-altitude aircraft engine

The admonishing words of the master take root and flourish. In April 1916, Karl Maybach designs the first high-altitude aircraft engine in the world, the "Mb Iva". Throttled back when near to the ground, it only produces full power at altitude, thereby counterbalancing the loss in power caused by the drop in air pressure. The military shows itself to be sceptical though. Karl Maybach's no-nonsense response comes in the spring of 1917, when he constructs an engine test rig on the top of Mount Wendelstein in the Bavarian Alps, a peak 1840 metres in height, and proves the superiority of his engine by means of practical testing.

The end of the First World War puts an end to all high-flying projects however: the Treaty of Versailles prohibits the manufacture of aircraft, flying machines or aircraft engines in Germany. Karl Maybach had already suspected this in 1918, and, as head of the company, had acted quickly. Some time later, he outlines the predicament to his father in a letter, "We were forced to look for new fields of business for our factory if we were not to halt manufacture in Friedrichshafen altogether."

Return to automotive engineering

So, Karl Maybach focuses his attention on cars again. After all, there still remains a great deal to do in this field: at the start of the 1920s, a mere 200,000 passenger cars and commercial vehicles, as well as some 100,000 motorcycles were registered in Germany. And as a car engine had once served as the starting point for Maybach when developing an airship engine, there is no reason why the same formula should not work in reverse. His aim is "to fully develop a first-class petrol-powered vehicle which is suitable for all uses."

To allow the first model to be tested out in practice, the W 1, a test car based on a four-seater Mercedes chassis, is built in 1919. Following completion of initial testing, Maybach proceeds to develop the W 2 motor-vehicle engine, featuring six cylinders with a bore of 95 millimetres and a stroke of 135 millimetres. The new engine generates 70 hp at 2200 rpm.

Premiere at the 1921 Motor Show

The W 2 engine had been specially commissioned and 1000 units ordered for the Dutch luxury car, the Spyker 30/40, manufactured by the Car and Aircraft Factory Trompenburg. The Dutch company runs into financial difficulties though and is not able to purchase all of the engines ordered. This forces Karl Maybach to search for another solution and he decides to build his own cars to use the W 2 engines that have not been sold. The end product is the W 3 (22/70 hp), which is premiered to wide acclaim at the 1921 Motor Show in Berlin. This event establishes Maybach as a luxury brand which exploits all technological possibilities to the full.

That is his overriding goal, with Maybach maintaining from the outset that he has no intention of building a "Volkswagen", a car which ordinary people could afford. It is an assertion he reiterates at the Berlin Motor Show: "Ahead of the major show staged by the Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry in 1921, certain members of the board asked me mockingly if Maybach was going to present the cheapest car of the lot. They were rather upset when I replied: 'No, the most expensive!'"

The successes scored after the infant car brand's appearance at the Berlin show provide great stimulus for the team in Friedrichshafen: at the end of 1926, Maybach brings out the W 5 which is equipped with a six-cylinder in-line engine and develops an impressive output of 120 hp from its displacement of 6992 cubic centimetres. This car is later supplied with a sophisticated overdrive transmission (the W 5 SG).

Made-to-measure craftsmanship down to the finest detail

As an automotive engineer, Karl Maybach is driven by technology in its purest form – in particular the constant development process involved in perfecting a powerful, smooth and durable engine, the invention of new and easy-to-use transmission systems and the optimisation of the suspension. It is something the company's highly discerning customers appreciate when they order the fully assembled, ready-to-drive chassis with frame, suspension, engine, transmission, radiator, firewall and other assemblies for their personal Maybach in Friedrichshafen. When it comes to the car's body, Karl Maybach and his staff only work with the best specialists in the field, firms who are able to meet the requirements of Maybach customers. The fittings and finish are always dictated by the buyers' personal wishes, giving the owners a car very much in their own image.

Technical quality, customised design and flawless craftsmanship are the outstanding attributes of the peerless Maybach cars. The body manufacturers complement the superb engineering of the chassis and engine with top-quality fittings worked into the body, itself lovingly hand-crafted. This gives the exclusive clientele carte blanche to have their car tailored to their personal requirements and preferences – in principle, there are no limits to what is possible, except those imposed by the boundaries of the buyer's imagination and their bank balance.

The result is automotive works of art, one-off cars of stunning elegance. There are stately limousines, majestic Pullmans, racy two to seven-seater coupes, stylish cabriolets and sporty roadsters. Each boasts exclusive interior specifications, including exquisite leather and fine cloth appointments complemented by selected woods and paintwork, and a host of other refinements. Virtually no two "MM"-badged cars look the same.

High-society clientele

Well-known personalities are to be found either at the wheel or in the rear of the Maybach cars: politicians and businessmen, princesses and emperors, stars and popular idols, including Enrico Caruso and Max Schmeling. Then there are illustrious figureheads, decorated with titles of nobility, who also have themselves chauffeured around in a Maybach, notably the emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassi, King Paul of Greece and the heirs to the Dutch throne, Princess Juliana and Prince Bernard, Prince Esterhazy and the Indian Maharajas of Jaipur, Potila and Kolhapur.

Luxury car with the majestic-sounding name "Zeppelin"

In his constant quest to preserve the technical superiority of his brand, Karl Maybach starts work on a twelve-cylinder car engine towards the end of the 1920s. The positive experience gained from using the multi-cylinder powerplants in airships spurs him on. Development is completed in 1929 with the unveiling of the Maybach "Type 12" featuring a 150-hp seven-litre V12 engine. This is the precursor to the legendary Maybach "Zeppelin" DS 7 launched in mid-1930, which is fitted with the same powerplant and a twin overdrive transmission. The DS 8 variant comes out in 1931, drawing a peak output of 200 hp from its displacement of eight litres.

The "Zeppelin" is available as a saloon, sports cabriolet and open-top touring car. All variants offered boundless interior space to relax in, whilst the comfortable leather seats are more like club armchairs with their soft upholstery. The on-road performance of this top-of-the-line car is equally impressive. It has a long 3735-millimetre wheelbase and is very heavy, but rigid axles connected to long semi-elliptic springs allowed it to glide along almost nimbly. Hydraulic, double-acting shock absorbers further enhance the ride comfort. To move off, drivers still need the clutch, but thereafter they only have to operate two small levers in the middle of the steering wheel in order to change through the four gears of the planetary-gear transmission – without having to use the clutch. Neutral, 1a or reverse can be engaged using the pre-selection hand lever in the centre of the car.

The worm-and-nut steering, which is not power assisted, is surprisingly light given the 3-ton weight of this rather grand car. The massive drum brakes are operated by cable, and offer even and effective deceleration thanks to a sophisticated lever system. A vacuum-powered assistance system keeps the power required to operate the brakes within reasonable limits. In short, the "Zeppelin" represents the ultimate in motorised luxury. The same has to be said though of the Saloon's price tag of up to 36,000 marks, enough to buy three detached houses at the start of the 1930s.

Wilhelm Maybach is still alive to see the celebrated flagship model take shape, but does not survive to witness the car's launch. He passes away in December 1929. A total of only 183 units are sold of the legendary "Zeppelin" in its DS 7 and DS 8 versions.

Wilhelm Maybach is still alive to see the celebrated flagship model take shape, but does not survive to witness the car's launch. He passes away in December 1929. A total of only 183 units are sold of the legendary "Zeppelin" in its DS 7 and DS 8 versions.

Swing-axle cars offering optimal ride comfort and sure roadholding

Although economic considerations rarely take priority for Karl Maybach, he knows that a smaller model is needed to complement the large V12 car. The range is therefore extended in 1931 to include the W 6; somewhat longer than the W 5, the new model also becomes available with a twin overdrive transmission (W 6 DSG) after 1934. Both models use the six-cylinder engine taken from the W 5.

Apart from the engines and transmission, roadholding and ride comfort are also a major concern for Maybach – as with the engineering used for the drive train, both aspects are again underpinned by his own strict standards. The end product of these design efforts are the so-called swing-axle cars, comprising the SW 35 (1935), SW 38 (1936) and SW 42 (1939-1941) models. These technically advanced Maybach models come with six-cylinder in-line engines and all deliver 140 hp – once again they constitute a major and much acclaimed success for the Friedrichshafen firm.

Maybach engines for railcars

The industrious designer Karl Maybach is never quite content to stop at engines for motor cars though. As early as 1924, he designs the first fast-running diesel engine including transmission for railcars (peak output of 150 hp at 1300 rpm), thereby triggering off the construction of a special high-speed railcar network in Germany, which is used as a model design the world over. The "Fliegender Hamburger" railcar, which is powered by two Maybach diesel engines, starts service on the route between Hamburg and Berlin in 1933, travelling at speeds of up to 160 km/h. On February 17, 1936 it even sets a world record for standard-specification railcars, attaining a speed of 205 km/h.

Maybach also has a hand in the construction of the first airship to be built after the end of the First World War in Friedrichshafen. He supplies the five twelve-cylinder engines for the LZ 126, which deliver a total output of 2850 hp. The colossal zeppelin is flown to the USA in October 1924 as a form of reparation payment.

Their high power makes the Maybach engines ideal for use in commercial vehicles, buses and coaches, as well as military vehicles. In fact, the military is so impressed by the high performance, that they eventually commission drive units for tracked vehicles to be built in Friedrichshafen. Despite feeling somewhat uneasy about providing engines to motorise military vehicles, ultimately Karl Maybach is not a politically-minded person: he sees himself as "just" a designer, and pays little attention to the political goings-on around him.

Contract from the French government

Following the Second World War, the French soon come to a similar conclusion. They admire his technical expertise and offer him a contract to build high-performance engines for France. Karl Maybach consents, under the proviso that engine production can still continue in Friedrichshafen. On September 12, 1946, he signs a contract with the French government for the preparatory study and manufacture of a 1000-hp petrol-powered engine and a diesel power unit. As he is able to work, he is happy to move to the French town of Vernon, close to Paris, where he also celebrates his 70th birthday on July 6, 1949.

In mid-1951, Karl Maybach returns to Germany, where he lives and works in his house in Garmisch, leaving his post at the company at his own request on December 19, 1952. He is still a regular visitor to the company headquarters though – it is during one of these visits that the maestro of design dies on February 6, 1960.

MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH

Europe's specialist for heavy-duty engines

After the Second World War, Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH focused on manufacturing engines for diesel locomotives and commercial vehicles. In 1960, Daimler-Benz obtained a majority stake in the company; six years later, Maybach-Motorenbau was merged together with the heavy-duty engine production wing of Daimler-Benz, under the new name of Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH. The name of the plant in Friedrichshafen was finally changed to its present title in 1969: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH.

Ever since then, MTU has been the global leader in the field of drive system technology for shipping, rail transport, heavy-duty vehicles and decentralised energy plant. The product range comprises diesel engines with maximum outputs of up to 9000 kW/12,250 hp, gas engines, gas turbines and fuel cells, making it one of the most advanced and extensive portfolios in the industry. As well as engines, the company also supplies complete drive systems, including integral control and monitoring. MTU powerplants are renowned for offering high power combined with low weight and ultra compact dimensions.

With a workforce totalling over 6000 employees around the world, MTU generates revenues of over one billion euro, 80 percent of which stems from exports. MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a company of DaimlerChrysler AG.

Chronology
Karl Maybach –
Zeppelin powerplants, luxury cars and high-performance engines

1909
Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH is founded in Bissingen/Enz (Wurttemberg) as a subsidiary of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH airship construction company. Karl Maybach is appointed technical director and begins work on the construction of airship engines.

1910
The first Maybach airship engine is ready. The six-cylinder unit developing 145 hp propels the LZ 6.

1912
The firm relocates to Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. At the same time, the firm is renamed Motorenbau Friedrichshafen GmbH.

1913
Work is completed on the new, even more powerful CX airship engine, developing 210 hp.

1915
Karl Maybach marries Kathe Lewerenz.

1917
Karl Maybach develops the world's first high-altitude aircraft engine.

1918
On May 16, the name of Motorenbau Friedrichshafen GmbH changes to Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH.

1919
The first Maybach W 1 test car is built. The W 2 engine is completed for the Dutch luxury car model, Spyker.

1921
Maybach unveils his first motor vehicle, the W 3, at the Berlin Motor Show.

1923
Maybach develops the twelve-cylinder VL 1 engine for airships (420 hp).

1924
The technical university in Stuttgart confers the title of honorary doctor on Karl Maybach. Maybach is the first company in the world to develop a fast-running diesel-powered engine for railcars, with an output of 150 hp.

1926
The Maybach W 5 is presented.

1928
Maybach develops the VL 2 airship engine developing 530 hp. Five of these powerplants propel the legendary LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin" airship.

1930
Maybach unveils the "Zeppelin" model with a V12 engine, Germany's largest luxury saloon.

1931
The W 6 car, equipped with the same six-cylinder engine used in the W 5 but featuring a longer wheelbase, is launched.

1933
The "Fliegender Hamburger" high-speed railcar, powered by two Maybach diesel engines, reaches speeds of up to 160 km/h on its regular route between Hamburg and Berlin.

1934
Maybach develops the twin overdrive transmission for his W 6 DSG model. At the same time, the DSH ("Doppel-Sechs-Halbe" – "half a twelve-cylinder") powered by a 5.2-litre in-line six-cylinder engine is premiered.

1935
The SW 35 swing-axle cars makes their debut.

1934
Maybach presents the world's first turbocharged high-performance diesel engine. The GO 6 unit delivers 600 hp.

1936
The SW 38 swing-axle saloon is launched. On February 17, a high-speed railcar powered by Maybach engines attains a speed of 205 km/h, a world record for standard-specification railcars.

1939
The SW 42 swing-axle car is launched.

1941
Production of Maybach cars comes to an end.

1946
Karl Maybach signs a contract with the French government for the preparatory study and manufacture of a 1000-hp petrol-powered engine and a diesel power unit. His work is based in Vernon, about 60 km away from Paris.

1951
Karl Maybach lives and works at his house in Garmisch.

1952
Karl Maybach retires from work at the company.

1959
Maybach is made an honorary professor at the technical university in Stuttgart.

1960
Karl Maybach dies on February 6 in Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz acquires a majority holding in Maybach-Motorenbau.

1966
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is merged together with the heavy-duty engine production wing of Daimler-Benz under the name of Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH.

1969
Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH becomes the Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH, known as MTU for short.

Model chronology
The Maybach cars -
Luxury, perfection and state-of-the-art technology

Between 1921 and 1941 Maybach-Motorenbau sold a total of some 1800 cars. In addition to the vehicles recorded in the company's statistics, another five to ten exhibition cars were built each year. Today, 152 Maybach cars still exist across the world.

1919: W 1
The W 1 was a test car based on a Mercedes chassis and was not put into series production.

1920: W 2
This was the designation code for an engine of which 1000 units were ordered for use in the Spyker 30/40 Dutch luxury car. However, not all the engines ordered were actually purchased, the financial consequences of this forcing Karl Maybach to build cars himself in order to use the unsold W 2 engines.

1921: W 3
The first W 3 from the Maybach company made its debut in 1921 at the Berlin Motor Show. Its six-cylinder in-line engine had a displacement of 5740 cm? and developed 70 hp. Unit figure: 305 vehicles.

1926: W 5
The W 5 followed in 1926, and was also powered by a six-cylinder in-line engine (6992 cm? displacement, 120 hp). Later, this model was also offered with an overdrive transmission system as the W 5 SG. Unit figure: 248 vehicles.

1930: DS 7 and DS 8
The Maybach "Zeppelin" was introduced in mid-1930 with a 7-litre, V12 engine which developed 150 hp. The precursor to this model was the Maybach 12 (1929). The later DS 8 variant with a displacement of 8 litres developed 200 hp and was offered as a chassis from 1931 for 29,500 reichsmarks. Unit figure: approx. 183 vehicles.

1930: DSH
The DSH ("Doppel-Sechs-Halbe" – "half a twelve-cylinder") was built from 1930 to 1937. It was powered by a 5.2-litre, six-cylinder in-line engine generating 130 hp. Unit figure: approx. 34 vehicles.

1931: W 6
The W 6 was produced from 1931 to 1933 with the six-cylinder engine from the W 5. From 1934 it was also available with a twin overdrive transmission system (W 6 DSG). Both variants had a longer wheelbase than the W 5. Unit figure: approx. 90 vehicles.

1935: SW 35 - 42
The SW 35 (1935 to 1936), SW 38 (1936 to 1938) and SW 42 (1939 to 1941) models with swing axle were the last Maybach cars built. They stood out by virtue of their six-cylinder in-line engines with displacements of 3.5, 3.8 and 4.2 litres respectively, and all developed an output of 140 hp. Unit figures: SW 35/38 - 707 vehicles; SW 42 - 133 vehicles.

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