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There is no question that a trip from the pre-Alpine lakes in the south of Germany, crossing the mountains through Switzerland to arrive in Lake Como as your final destination, sounds ideal under any circumstances. But if on top of that, you are invited to do it with Maybach, then the adventure becomes a honeymoon for any motoring enthusiast worth their spark plugs.

The idea, though, is not new. Exactly 100 years ago, Karl Schmid, an engineer and director at Maybach, did a similar tour for his honeymoon, in a Maybach Type 22/70 hp W 3. He and his wife overcame all the challenges presented by the weather, the topography of the terrain, the roads and the limitations of motorcars in those days. Schmid’s Maybach didn’t have a single breakdown throughout the entire journey, not even on transalpine passes such as the Great St Bernard. It may sound like a miracle but, in fact, this was all thanks to Maybach’s engineering prowess. Since its foundation in 1909, the company had been manufacturing engines for Zeppelin, so when its team applied all they knew to private road transportation in 1921, it was as easy as pie.

For this centennial honeymoon, Maybach put at our service the best of its modern range, plus a few of its classic jewels, which are normally stored in private garages or at the Maybach Museum in southern Germany. An S-680 saloon, two SUVs – the EQS 680 electric and the GLS 600 – and two of the new sport convertibles, the SL 680 Monogram Series. Accompanied by Ulrich Schmid-Maybach (the great-grandson of co-founder Wilhelm Maybach and president of the Maybach Foundation) and Anna Hofmann (she and her husband are the power and will behind the Maybach Museum), we started our adventure – as Schmid did – in Friedrichshafen on the shores of the stunning Lake Constance, where Maybach had a factory in the early 20th century.

I threw myself into the red SL 680 Monogram Series with gusto. The crystal white nappa leather interior, white carpet, 18-carat gold details in the headlights, chrome on most of the finishings and 21-inch forged wheels made me feel like a goddess in her celestial carriage. As if all of the above wasn’t enough opulence, the Maybach signet appears in the rear lights, and the Maybach pattern is subtly incorporated onto the black fabric soft top for ultimate refinement.

To drive this beautiful beast is the epitome of luxury. From the lake we moved to landscapes dominated by vineyards, and from there, to the legendary Black Forest, enjoying its rolling hills covered with dense evergreen trees, its sparkling lakes and postcard-pretty villages, roof down with Kraftwerk’s music blasting through the Burmester speakers.

The 585 hp and four-litre V8 twin turbo engine might make you wonder if you could hear anything else. The answer is a firm “yes”, thanks to Maybach’s engineering magic. The SL 680 Monogram Series has a sound insulating system that makes the tiger under the bonnet and the ogre in the exhaust almost inaudible from the cabin.

At the wheel, the goddess feeling becomes a bit more warrior princess. Speed, power and driving exhilaration are accompanied by strong confidence in the abilities of this beauty. Between the 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system that optimises traction and stability, the hugging seats that activate the moment you push a bit on a turn and the automatic seatbelts, you feel safe at all times.

In moments of laziness, I sought refuge in the 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox. I could then relax a bit and enjoy the view. The moment I wanted to put the car through its paces again, the adaptive accelerator made sure it responded with the promptness of a racehorse bursting from the gate.

To drive on the motorway for the last couple of hours to Lausanne, I swapped my red steed for the S-680 saloon, which ate miles as if they were Smarties, thanks to its six-litre V12 twin-turbo engine, 612 hp, 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox and 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system.

I must admit that I wasn’t at the wheel for this bit. And who can blame me? This Maybach is almost as large as my first flat. It is nearly 5.5m long and 2m wide, the back seats are reclinable, have multi-massage functions and come equipped with two screens, in case you get bored of the landscape. My favourite detail: the Champagne suite. This is the executive car for those who truly know – and can. It is not bad to arrive at Lausanne’s grand Beau-Rivage Palace in such a carriage, either. Glances follow you and the bellboys fight to open your door.

On the terrace of the hotel, overlooking Lake Geneva, glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs in hand, the participants in this unique honeymoon compared notes and discussed the virtues of the mechanical jewels we had driven that day.

The following morning it was time to reacquaint myself with a friend I had made in Morocco in 2024: the mighty GLS 600 SUV. This is an extraordinarily tough car, despite its luxurious appearance. Basically, its pneumatic suspension Airmatic allows it to adjust its height and soften the irregularities of the terrain. The E-Active Body Control is another active suspension system that individually manipulates each wheel, minimising the movement of the chassis and offering a much smoother and more stable drive. Lastly, the 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system – as in the other models – distributes the power between the front and rear axles to optimise traction and stability on different surfaces.

In extreme cases, for example, one just has to activate the Recovery mode and the car uses all of the above systems to make the chassis bounce (yes, this is that Maybach). The motion changes the ground pressure of the tyres, allowing the vehicle to “rock” itself free from sticky terrain. It does truly work. I’ve seen it myself, buried a foot deep in sand and coming out of it in under a minute.

A detail I love in the GLS 600 is that, taking into consideration its height (just under 1.9m), the car has side steps running from the front to the back doors. These come out automatically, so one can gracefully climb in and out without looking like a struggling sloth.

The reason to choose this specific Maybach for my second day is simple. Sure, any Maybach can cross the Great St Bernard with total ease, but if, like me, you’ve done this before in your life, you’ll know that driving through this pass can be a bit of a pain in bad weather; and the weather almost always turns sour.

Which is exactly what happened on this trip. Ten minutes after arriving, while some of us were having coffee and others petting the famous local rescue dogs (the ones with the little brandy barrels hanging from their collars), the sky turned the colour of steel and the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees.

Maybach had prepared picnic baskets for us that day and our GLS 600 was also equipped with a Champagne suite. So thanks to its height and width, the four of us had the most delightful lunch while others in the group had to suffer a little bit. Furthermore, once filming requirements were fulfilled and we could leave the convoy, despite the wind and the biblical amounts of water on the road, the GLS felt totally at ease and responded as if we were in perfect driving conditions.

So much so that we were the first to arrive at Lake Como. By the time the next car made it, we had been sipping Champagne on the majestic terrace of Villa D’Este (only the very best for Maybach) for an hour, freshly showered and dressed up for the occasion, overlooking the lake and the surrounding mountains.

To spend the last night of our Maybach honeymoon at Villa d’Este was a magical experience. The villa was built in the 16th century as the residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, before becoming a hotel in 1873. With its privileged location on the lakefront, its palatial gardens and rooms suited for a king, it is no wonder Maybach chose it as the last destination for this extraordinary trip of love and adventure.

Both Maybach and Villa d’Este embody opulence, sophistication and, more importantly, class. Both have an enviable heritage, which comes from their rich history. Maybach represents the zenith of luxury automotive engineering, technology and comfort; Villa d’Este bewitches with its timeless elegance, its Renaissance grandeur and the romanticism of Lake Como. Maybach invites its clients to glide through the world in discreet opulence, Villa d’Este invites them to pause and relish the moment.

Article is from: Inquisitive Minds | By Julia Pasarón

Before JC – Jeremy Clarkson, not the other chap with the same initials – there was the Grand Tour. The route into Italy from the north, across the Alps, was once a rite of passage for 17th- and 18th-century European noblemen. Goethe, the German Romantic, described the Alps as casting their captive shadow. By the 19th century, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra saw mountain ascents as metaphors for confronting inner challenges and striving for greatness. With the invention of the motor car in the 20th century, these peaks remained a formidable test for both driver and machine. Which still holds true today.

At the invitation of Mercedes-Maybach, a group of us were set to embark on our own version of the Grand Tour. We followed a route originally taken by Dr Karl Schmid, an engineer and sales manager at Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, who documented his honeymoon journey while driving a Maybach Type 22/70 hp W 3. His diary and photo album are preserved at the Museum of Historic Maybach Vehicles in Neumarkt, Bavaria.

According to the diary’s translation, their route took them from southern Germany by Lake Bodensee to Lago di Como in northern Italy. “Friedrichshafen, Geisslingen: Visited parents, […] on the same day, traveled to Neuchâtel. Heavy traffic from Lake Biel. It was a lovely autumn day, the sky and lake were blue.” […] “Along Lake Neuchâtel, Yverdon, Lausanne breakfast.” “[…] Continued to Villeneuve, Aigle, St. Maurice, Martigny. 60-metre-high waterfall, wet feet, cold. […] To the Great St. Bernard: beautiful, wide, long ascending pass road, […]” “[…] Continued around Lake Lugano and Chiasso and the wonderful Como, palm trees, magnificent location by the lake, grand hotels […]”

Founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl, the company originally built engines for Zeppelin airships. These engines were designed to operate flawlessly over long distances and at high altitudes. In 1919, that engineering excellence was applied to terrestrial transport, and the company began building ultimate luxury automobiles.

Dr Schmid’s tour passes through some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery, from serene shoreline to mountainous terrain. Along the way it also takes in some of the grandest of Grand Dame hotels that are resident next to the lakes and act as an oasis for the road weary driver. They are, in essence, restored versions of the same hostelries that would have looked familiar to Dr and Mrs Schmid.

My weapon of choice to take on the Alps was the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram, styled after the brand’s dramatic 6 Concept car. It features thrilling acceleration for alpine climbs, exceptional traction control for tight bends, and confident handling on descents. The SL 680 is Maybach’s first two-seater roadster and blends performance with exceptional luxury. The 4.0-litre V8 engine delivers around 585 horsepower through a nine-speed Speedshift gearbox, with paddle controls for manual driving. Exterior touches include a Maybach-patterned bonnet, chrome grille, and exclusive colour options: garnet red metallic or opalite white magno.

Inside the cabin, it’s the craftsmanship and comfort that set Maybach apart. It features exclusive nappa leather upholstery, with multicontour, climate-controlled seats in crystal white and floral stitching that hugs you through tight corners or autobahn sprints. There’s an energizing airflow system to keep you alert, and a heated steering wheel.

Much like the Zeppelin airships that once passed overhead, the appearance of a Maybach car in remote alpine towns must have felt like an alien craft from the future. Today’s Mercedes Maybach SL680 had a similar effect. The new styling, attention to detail that only a luxury car provides, and the sonorous sounds from the V8 engine, cause people to stop, smart phone in hand, to take pictures of the modern-day automotive equivalent.

Our journey began at the Riva Hotel in Konstanz, near Friedrichshafen – an art nouveau villa with an enviable location. It has been elegantly updated with floor-to-ceiling windows, a Michelin two-star restaurant, a spa and a lakeside bar.

From Friedrichshafen, the route climbs through vineyards of Süddeutschland into the Black Forest. The roads are narrow and rural, including agricultural machinery as a slow-moving hazard. The car, while not complaining at low speed, nonetheless feels like a caged beast that simply wants the freedom to run. Re-joining the autobahn did just that. Pressure on the accelerator, and with the ferrous engine roaring beneath the hood, the car eats up the mileage with ease. It is your adrenalin rush vindication of the quoted performance figures.

Crossing into Switzerland over the Rhine at Giebenach, the route follows the lakeside plains toward Geneva. Swiss speed limits kept the SL 680 humming along, conserving fuel and gliding toward the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, set on the edge of Lac Léman.

The Beau-Rivage, one of Switzerland’s finest 19th-century hotels, has been tastefully restored and expanded. Its lakeside terrace, towering ceilings, and grand décor from yesteryear remain. After a full day on the road, a cold drink on the colonnaded balcony with a view of the lake is a well-earned reward.

The next morning brought the ascent into the Alps, following the lake and river valley until the road begins the climb to the Great St. Bernard Pass – the ridge between Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. As Dr Schmid noted, it’s “beautiful, wide, long ascending pass road.” With Matt Monro crooning “On Days Like These” through the Burmester® 3D surround system, you start to wonder if the mafia are not waiting hidden in a mountain tunnel.

Even today, the road over the pass is demanding. Weather can shift without warning, turning sunshine into torrential downpours making driving conditions more challenging. The heavy rain turns the road into a potential skid pan, but the all-wheel drive makes sure the Maybach is a positive and poised experience.

Once past Ivrea, the road flattens toward Milan, followed by a short climb north to Lake Como delivering you to the imperious Villa d’Este. Built in the 16th century for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, it remains one of the world’s grandest hostelries. Dominating the shoreline, with palatial gardens and a maintained grandeur befitting a bygone age, it is a perfect place to rest and recoup. Relaxing at the tables by the water, the sound of waves gently lapping at the dock, it is idyllic, and as Dr Schmid described, a “magnificent location by the lake, grand hotels…”.

I may not have discovered my inner Nietzschean resolve or Goethean inspiration in the mountains – the Maybach did most of the hard work – but I found a different kind of greatness in the joy of the drive. This Grand Tour proved that, with the right car, such a journey is one everyone should consider at least once in their life.

Article is from: Arcadia Magazine | By Dr. Andrew Hildreth

A hundred years ago, Dr. Karl Schmid and his new bride celebrated their nuptials with a 10-day honeymoon driving tour, crossing the perilous, snow-covered Swiss and Italian Alps in their stately, open-top Maybach.

The 1,370-mile grand adventure kicked off in Friedrichshafen, Germany, home then to the Maybach-Moterenbau factory, with the couple heading to Lausanne on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, the great St. Bernhard and Gotthard Passes, stopping off on Italy’s Lake Como, before threading their way home.

Back in 1925, Alpine travel was extremely challenging. Most roads were nothing more than unpaved, gravel tracks with steep inclines, scary drop-offs, and switchback curves. Throw in snowstorms, avalanches, and freezing temperatures, and it was a true test of man and machine.

Yet according to Herr Schmid’s well-preserved and highly detailed handwritten travel diary and photo albums—now part of the Museum of Historic Maybach Vehicles archives in Neumarkt, Germany—the trip went without a glitch. Seems his open-top Maybach W3, with a custom body by German coachbuilder Spohn and a lusty 5.7-liter, 70 hp Maybach straight-six under its mile-long hood, never missed a beat.

Fast forward 100 years, and to mark the anniversary of the honeymoon adventure, Mercedes-Maybach PR had the idea of recreating, at least in part, the trans-Alpine adventure. This time, however, it would include some of the latest Mercedes-Maybach models, including the flashy, just-launched 2026 SL 680 Monogram, Maybach’s first sports car.

Which is how Robb Report ended up in Friedrichshafen for this sentimental centennial drive, which would retrace many of the roads and locations of that original trip. In addition to the new SL, an all-electric Maybach EQS 680 SUV was on hand, along with long-wheelbase S 580 and S 680 uber-luxe limos, and a towering GLS 680 SUV.

“Traveling in style is very much a part of the Maybach brand DNA. And while it’s true that many of our owners enjoy being chauffeured, there are those who love to drive themselves. And this kind of trip, combining adventure, romance, and luxury, would have considerable appeal,” says Daniel Lescow, head of Mercedes-Maybach.

Not forgetting that it was an original Maybach that inspired this “honeymoon” adventure, a pair of early examples were dusted off and shipped to Friedrichshafen for the start. They included a rather funereal 1939 SW 42 Pullman sedan from the Maybach museum, which was originally owned by the Spanish Embassy in Berlin.

More interesting, though less original, was the lovely dark blue and white 1936 Maybach SW38 four-door Cabriolet. This started life as just four wheels and was entirely recreated over the course of 18 years by students at the Wilhelm-Maybach School in Heilbronn, Germany.

Yet perhaps the most important “oldtimer” on the drive was the stately 2002 Maybach 57, owned by Ulrich Schmid-Maybach, great-grandson of company founder Wilhelm Maybach, who was at the event driving his car. His 57 was the very first, new-generation Maybach off the line, and was gifted to the Maybach family by Daimler-Benz in October 2002. It provided a perfect visual comparison with the newest, more low-slung S-Class Mercedes-Maybachs.

After a rousing send-off by the mayor of Friedrichshafen, we were on our way, following the newlyweds’ original route, heading deep into the Black Forest, then skirting Basel and Bern, before dropping down into Lausanne on Lake Geneva for an overnight stay at the posh Beau-Rivage Palace hotel.

It was an easy six-hour, 250-mile run, split between the new all-electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV and the decadently luxurious, cruise-ship-sized S 580 4Matic limousine with its whispering twin-turbo V-8.

For day two’s 260-mile sortie, we traded V-8 power for V-12 magnificence, piloting the 621 hp oligarch-class Maybach S680 flagship for the climb up through the snow-capped Alps to 8,100-foot-high Grand St. Bernard at the summit of the St. Bernard Pass. Winter snowfall here averages over 65 feet; the pass had opened literally days before our arrival.

And there to greet us was a pair of adorable St. Bernards, sadly minus their traditional brandy casks, to pose in front of the cars. It was no doubt their distant cousins who had posed for photos in front of Dr. Schmid’s Maybach at the same spot back in 1925.

The road up the Col du St. Bernard is still one of the world’s great driving roads, with its snaking blacktop, hairpin bends, and spectacular mountain vistas, offering glimpses of towering Mont Blanc in the distance. Despite its considerable bulk, the S680 was in its element, using its prodigious 664 ft lbs of torque to slingshot out of the curves, while rear-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension and all-wheel drive kept it on an even keel through the tightest Alpine curves.

Like the Schmids, we stopped at the ancient l’Hospice du Grand Saint-Bernard at the top of the pass. Founded by Bernard of Menthon (later St. Bernard) around the year 1050, it’s still a haven for weary travelers. Monks at the monastery continue to welcome hikers, bikers, and drivers, offering a bed for the night in one of the basic rooms or dorms.

For the winding trip down the mountain, we grab the keys to the star of the Honeymoon adventure, the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram, resplendent in its monochromatic Opalite White Magno paint and multitude of double-M Maybach logos adorning its black hood and folding canvas top.

This is Maybach’s first two-seat convertible and a seductive, though flashier, alternative to Bentley’s Continental GTC, Aston Martin’s DB12 Volante, and Mercedes’ own AMG SL63. While it drives very much like an SL63, with that turbine-like thrust from its 577 hp 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, the Maybach is tuned to be a little more relaxed, a little less hyper, and much smoother-riding courtesy of softer springs and dampers. There’s even an exclusive “Maybach Mode” suspension setting which relaxes the steering feel, throttle response, and suspension firmness, for true “boulevardier” cruising.

But tap the “Sport” button and Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde as everything sharpens up, livens up, and displays its AMG pedigree. Off the line, it’ll rip to 60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds, accompanied by a snarling exhaust, piped for added effect, through the car’s sonorous Burmester stereo.

At dinner that night, on the terrace of the grand Villa d’Este hotel on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como, where Dr. Schmid and his bride likely stayed (it opened in 1873), Mercedes-Maybach boss Lescow tells us the SL 680 makes a compelling addition to the line-up.

“It’s the sportiest, most extravagant model we have ever created, a true Maybach for the ultimate in open-air driving enjoyment. And the perfect car for an adventurous trip like this, and one, I suspect, that offers rather more luxury and comfort than the honeymooners’ car 100 years ago.”

Article is from: Robb Report | By Howard Walker

There is something profoundly fascinating about the story of Maybach: a marque that, at one point, seemed to disappear like a gentle ghost, only to reappear in modern times – always true to itself, and yet never quite the same. A brand born from the very heart of the mechanical revolution, when exclusivity rhymed with performance, and revived whenever someone felt the need to redefine what the word “luxury” truly means. This is why, in the pages of this Roots Issue, the story of the brand founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach appears as a perfect tale: a story of deep roots that continue to nourish, silently, the trunk and branches of a tree that no storm has ever managed to break, not even when it was transplanted into another garden. A story of a business, certainly, but also of a family.

Say Maybach, and you immediately think of the glorious German automobile industry at the dawn of motoring. Powerful engines, elegant bodywork, the privilege of the few who could drive an automobile while the world still moved by carriage. And of today’s cars as well – machines capable of speed and power, yet recognized above all for their supreme aesthetic luxury. Two design philosophies that might seem worlds apart, yet joined by a clientele that has changed little in over 115 years: dignitaries, heads of state, tycoons, and celebrities. The Maybachs were never merely engineers or builders: today, as then, they remain interpreters of an almost spiritual idea of precision. Wilhelm, the patriarch, believed that technical perfection had a moral dimension – that elegance was not a question of appearance, but of proportion. It was an idea that, a century later, would lead to cars in which luxury is measured in the silence of their motion and the soft precision with which a door closes. But before comfort came the workshop, the apprenticeship, the smell of oil at temperature and the sound of pistons moving up and down in a dim workshop in Cannstatt. That same devotion to doing things properly lives on today with the current generation of the family, represented by Ulrich Maybach – no longer at the helm of an automaker, but applying the same discipline to entrepreneurship, venture capital, and philanthropy.

Power and Airships

Wilhelm Maybach was born in 1846 and grew up with the curiosity of a visionary. At just fifteen, he was an orphan apprentice at the benevolent Reutlinger Brüderhaus, where he met a certain Gottlieb Daimler who decided to take him under his wing. It was an encounter destined to change the history of the automobile: two kindred minds united by a vision that at the time seemed almost science fiction – building lightweight engines to move carriages without horses. Together they created the first prototypes, whose simplicity might make us smile today, but which were pure witchcraft back in those days. When Daimler died in 1900, Maybach remained the most faithful guardian of his vision. For years he continued to develop engines under the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft name, but in 1909 he decided to strike out on his own, founding in Bissingen what would become Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH. At his side was his son Karl, heir to that calm, obsessive intelligence that made the Maybachs a dynasty of perfectionists. Maybach engines powered Zeppelin airships, but Karl steered the company toward the creation of automobiles that seemed to belong to another dimension: the DS7 and DS8 Zeppelin of the 1930s were true cathedrals of automotive luxury. Twelve cylinders, interiors in walnut and velvet, details executed with almost jeweler-like precision. Maybach sedans were not bought; they were commissioned – customers knowing that the car would arrive months later, but flawless. These cars were so advanced that they inspired Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza and earned a reputation for power and reliability. In an era when luxury was still synonymous with weight and grandeur, Maybach proved that lightness and silence could be gifts too – so long as they sacrificed nothing in performance. Then came the war, and with it the end of a pioneering yet glorious era. The company was forced to focus on engines for military vehicles and aircraft. When Germany awoke from the horrors of war, Maybach cars were just a memory – a name perhaps diminished, but not forgotten. The bond with excellence was too strong, the roots too deep to be erased.

In the Arms of the Star

Maybach-Motorenbau survived by producing diesel engines for trains and ships, and at that moment the dream of cars bearing its monogram seemed gone forever. Then, in 1960, Daimler-Benz officially acquired Maybach: more of a natural transition than a takeover. The two names had long been connected, bound by a shared technical and human bond. Daimler did not buy the marque for immediate profit, but to safeguard its heritage – an act of respect that was later rewarded by the enduring loyalty of the Maybach family which, though distant from the decision-making rooms, always stood by the House of the Star, even in the less dazzling financial seasons. The acquisition marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. Maybach became a technical division within Daimler, contributing to the design of transmissions and special engines for tanks, locomotives, and industrial vehicles. In the hallways of Stuttgart, the name remained synonymous with rigor and precision, even if its emblem no longer adorned the hoods of kings’ and statesmen’s cars. Yet the group, with an almost philanthropic gesture, kept the name alive. They knew it was not merely a brand, but a precious root. And roots, even when unseen, can hold up mountains.

New Lifeblood on the Eve of the Millennium

By the 1990s, in a fully globalized era, Stuttgart decided to dust off that name that had long slept in its archives. The world of automotive luxury had changed: Rolls-Royce and Bentley embodied British opulence, and even the German marques, including Mercedes-Benz itself, spoke the language of luxury – but without such a distinct accent. What better voice than Maybach to represent pure German exclusivity? Thus were born the Maybach 57 and 62, officially presented in 2002: monumental limousines, longer than a S-Class and quieter than a Gothic cathedral. Every detail was a tribute to the cult of perfection. The rear seats reclined into beds, the climate control offered four separate zones, and even the sound of the closing doors was tuned to produce a noise “more like a sigh than a click,” as one Sindelfingen engineer put it. Yet sales did not reward the effort. Too classical, too distant from an era that was beginning to favor SUVs and sharper lines. After a decade, in 2012, the parent company decided to suspend production. Three years later, however, the marque was reborn in a different, maybe more sustainable form: Mercedes-Maybach, no longer an independent brand but the pinnacle expression of the Mercedes-Benz range. It was an intelligent shift in perspective: rather than chasing Bentley or Rolls-Royce, Maybach returned to being the purest essence of comfort and German craftsmanship – the magic touch that elevated Stuttgart’s already premium models. Since then, the story has flowed again. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class – recently enriched by a special V12 celebratory edition – became the manifesto of this new chapter, followed by the EQS and GLS SUVs carrying the monogram on their hoods, and most recently, the SL 680 roadster: a gesture of freedom, a car that translates exclusivity into the pleasure of open-air travel, breathing the same air Wilhelm and Karl might have inhaled on their test drives along Lake Constance or through the curves of the Black Forest. A kind of return to the origins – or better yet, to the roots – expressed in a contemporary language.

The Power of Family

There is, however, another story—parallel and complementary—that runs quietly beside the industrial one. It’s the story of the family, represented today by Ulrich Schmid-Maybach. Great-grandson of Wilhelm and custodian of a heritage that is both moral and economic, Ulrich embodies the ethos of the marque while having no jurisdiction over its strategic or aesthetic decisions. He has become, with effortless genuineness, its ambassador: a presence that transcends protocol and corporate events. Ulrich is the human face of a legacy built on values—discretion, precision, respect. A witness to the greatness of the Maybachs, found as much in numbers as in the power of hands: the hands that once drew, invented, built, and checked every detail, and that today invest in ventures in San Francisco, launch lines of ultra-luxury accessories sold in open flagship stores around the world, or work toward creating a museum for the marque in Friedrichshafen. Hands that longer build cars, true. And yet the bond remains deep. It is a rare relationship, made of mutual respect: on one side, the industrial giant carrying the marque forward with all its might; on the other, a family that watches over its soul. Two different realities, perfectly aligned in a vision: to preserve the essence of an idea that crosses time without betraying itself.

Commitment, Heritage, and Future

The story of a brand like Maybach does not end with its automobiles. The roots that the family planted—first in Cannstatt and Bissingen, then in Friedrichshafen, within workshops, archives, and enthusiasts’ memories—continue to bear fruit today. In this sense, the work of the Wilhelm & Karl Maybach Foundation is emblematic: founded to preserve the founders’ legacy and foster new talent, it is active on multiple fronts. On one hand, it safeguards archives, materials, and testimonies; on the other, it promotes mentorship and cultural initiatives that have less to do with automobiles and more to do with the attitude of “doing things right” that Wilhelm Maybach embodied. Among its most recent projects is its collaboration with the Freundeskreis Maybach Museum e.V. association in Friedrichshafen, aimed at creating a permanent museum dedicated to the marque – a space where engines, automobiles, stories, and documents coexist in public exhibitions. The idea may not be new, but it is powerful: to give the roots a physical home, one that is not just an archive but an experience. Friedrichshafen—the city that saw Maybach-Motorenbau flourish and was the stage for innovation in airships, engines, and extraordinary sedans – was chosen for good reason. The pop-up exhibition “100 Years of Maybach Automobiles 1921–2021,” inaugurated in 2022, offered a preview of what that museum may become: a hybrid portal, both physical and digital, to give value to the roots even when no one is watching.

This way of being also reflects itself in today’s Mercedes-Maybach models. Building extraordinary cars is not enough; one must do so with awareness. Hybrid technologies, sustainable materials, artisanal craftsmanship – all are signs that roots are not only signs of the past to admire, but the foundation for tomorrow. The vision of the Maybach family and that of Mercedes-Benz are two distinct yet parallel lines. The great carmaker walks the path of modernity; the family guards the one of memory. Together, they show that eternal quality does not demand applause, only fidelity. And perhaps that is the secret of a marque that, after more than a century, still speaks softly yet with authority. The roots – the true ones – remain invisible. But without them, nothing grows. And so, every time a Mercedes-Maybach door closes with that muted, perfect sound, one can almost hear the distant echo of an old workshop somewhere in Baden-Württemberg.

Original Article: https://wheelz-mag.it/maybach-e-il-radicamento-dellesclusivita/

Wheelz Magazine

The French might call it a faux pas, but how the Germans would describe my Anglicised pronunciation of ‘Maybach’ ( ie may, back) I’m not too sure. But now that I’ve learned the correct way to say it — ‘my baaachhh,’ with a properly guttural finish. I’m never going, er, baaachhh. Even if the first person I tried it on did respond by saying: ‘So it’s made in Wales, right?’

Of course the Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series doesn’t hail from the valleys. It comes from a special production line in Sindelfingen, not far from Stuttgart in south-west Germany, which is the home of this ‘ultra luxury’ arm of Mercedes-Benz. The Maybach name dates back to 1912 when Wilhelm Maybach and his son, Karl, founded the firm as a manufacturer of diesel and petrol engines for Zeppelin airships and railcars before introducing their first automobile, the W3, at the 1921 Berlin motor show.

It soon set the standard for automotive ingenuity thanks to being the first German car with four-wheel brakes, while Maybach’s ‘doppelschnellgang’ transmission — which gave eight forward and four reverse gears — is said to have left many a chauffeur baffled. But what Maybach came to be especially associated with was opulence, not least because every car built during the next 20 years was a bespoke creation with bodies, interiors and accessories all being crafted to suit the whims of wealthy buyers.

One Maharaja is said to have specified just a simple finish combining gold-plated bodywork embedded with rubies, while more low-key royals, aristocrats, tycoons and celebrities merely demanded luxurious interiors and the sort of coachwork that could make a Bugatti or a Rolls-Royce seem positively pedestrian. More than 2000 Maybachs were built before the firm switched to military vehicle production in 1941, with no more cars being made post-war, only diesel engines for Mercedes-Benz – which took over the company in 1960.

The Maybach name subsequently lay fallow until M-B re-launched it as a standalone marque in 2002 with the ultra-luxury ‘57’ and ‘62’ limousines. Despite a starting price of around £240,000 (the equivalent today of around £445,000), the cars found enough suitably high-profile buyers and things were looking promising – until the financial crash of 2007/8 helped to set sales figures into a downward spiral which made Maybach’s business model untenable.

As a result, Maybach was re-positioned as ‘Mercedes-Maybach’ in 2014, making it a sub-brand that, rather than building exclusive cars from the ground-up, adapts existing Mercedes models to make them more distinctive, more luxurious and, of course, considerably more expensive. Which brings us back to the SL680 Monogram Series pictured here, which is the first two-seater from the modern-day Maybach marque.

Mercedes fans will quickly recognise the similarities to the SL 63 roadster on which it is based, but will also notice the Maybach-unique front end with its re-styled grille, bumper, bonnet and headlights (the bezels of which are treated to coppery detailing….) The wheels and suspension are different too and, should any ignorant passer-by not realise you’re driving a Mercedes PLUS PLUS, the Maybach monogram is plastered all over the black-finished bonnet and the cover that hides the folded soft top, as well as being applied to the pedals — with Maybach badging adorning the car’s flanks and kick plates.

At launch, only two colour options are available: Red Ambience and White Ambience, the latter of which reminded me of how long it has been since I’ve heard anyone use the term ‘hairdresser’s car’. But if the SL680 in White Ambience which I drove (complete with white leather interior perforated in a flower pattern, white wool carpets and white-rimmed steering wheel) is a hairdresser’s car, it’s certainly not for the type who charges a fiver for a short back and sides. At a follicle-greying £241,350, it costs a good £50,000 more than even the latest Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance hybrid – so what do you get for your money?

Apart from the aforementioned finishes and the opportunity to serve as a rolling billboard for the Maybach name, you get an engine that’s more softly-tuned than the Mercedes SL 63 on which the car is based, a plusher ride from that special suspension and what must be sufficient extra sound-proofing to insulate the Reichstag’s attic. ‘Softly-tuned’ does not, however, mean soft-hearted. The four-litre, twin-turbo AMG V8 beneath the monogrammed bonnet still delivers a gut-wrenching 585 horsepower and, during a section of our test drive that took in some unrestricted German autobahn, proved more than capable of delivering warp-factor acceleration and travelling at double the UK speed limit without breaking sweat.

And, in best Maybach tradition, it did so in the utmost comfort, with all that padding, squashy leather and ankle-deep carpeting contriving to make the car eerily quiet, even with the roof down at high speed. The usual drive modes are available (comfort for a gentle cruise and sport for a gruffer exhaust note, sharper throttle response and more dynamic ride), while the ‘Maybach’ setting somehow notches-up the luxury — although exactly how is difficult to pinpoint.

What we can be certain of however, is the fact that the Mercedes-My Baaachhh SL 680 is certainly the best two-seat roadster never to have come out of Wales….

By Simon De Burton – Country Life

The Vienna Hofburg is a place that breathes history. Once the center of power of the Habsburgs, today the seat of the Austrian Federal President, it stands for continuity and change at the same time. Here, in the midst of magnificent halls, I meet Daniel Lescow, Head of Mercedes-Maybach. Our conversation is not just about luxury cars, but about a philosophy of travel that goes far beyond driving. “Our customers are looking for more than just a vehicle – they are looking for an experience that reflects their personality,” says Lescow. “Maybach stands for a form of travel where the journey is just as important as the destination.”

Progress as a principle

Over the last twenty years, Maybach has continued to develop. New models, an expanded portfolio and, most recently, the move into electromobility with the development of the all-electric Maybach shows a clear direction: tradition and innovation need not be contradictory. “For us, progress does not mean reaching an end point, but continuing to work towards perfection,” explains Lescow. “Every new model, every new technology is part of this journey.” This way of thinking is reflected in every detail of the vehicles. The combination of precision craftsmanship, high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technology makes a Maybach not just a means of transportation, but a statement.

Craftsmanship and individuality

Individualization is a central element of the brand. Maybach customers often have a clear idea of how they want their vehicle to look and feel. “Every decision, be it a special paint finish or custom-made interior details, contributes to giving the car a personal signature.” The close collaboration with manufacturers such as Robbe & Berking, who produce fine silver elements for Maybach’s vehicles, is particularly exciting. “It’s about passing on values such as quality and craftsmanship and combining them with modern design,” says Lescow.

A brand beyond the automobile

Maybach is not only expanding with new models, but also with its own Experience Centers. There is a studio in Shanghai, which brings the brand to life in a new dimension. The first Maybach Brand Center will soon follow in Seoul. “We create places where our customers can immerse themselves in the world of Maybach – far beyond the car,” explains Lescow. Art and culture play a key role in this. The brand collaborates with renowned artists such as David LaChapelle to build a bridge between the automobile and art.

What luxury means today

But what does luxury mean at a time when exclusivity is taking on ever new forms? “For many of our customers, it’s about freedom – the opportunity to shape their lives according to their own ideas,” says Lescot. The brand is growing in new markets and increasingly appeals to people who value craftsmanship, design, and individuality. “They are personalities who are looking for something special, not just in a product, but in an entire lifestyle.” In the Hofburg, it becomes clear that Maybach is more than just a car brand. It is an attitude – one that is not satisfied with the status quo but is always looking ahead.

 In India, where heritage and innovation meet, the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series was revealed on March 16 and 17 at the iconic #RafflesHotel in Udaipur. The setting was as meaningful as the unveiling itself. It was a celebration of timeless design, cultural depth and modern elegance.

🎙️ Maybach Foundation’s President Uli Maybach joined the event for a stage dialogue with Daniel Lescow, Head of Mercedes-Maybach and Santosh Iyer, CEO of Mercedes-Benz India. Together they spoke about the legacy of the brand and the values that continue to shape its stellar future. Their exchange struck a chord in India, where heritage and multigenerational family businesses are deeply rooted and valued.

🌟 The evening featured cultural highlights and remarkable guests. Indian gallerist, friend and philanthropist Anubhav Nath attended with his parents Alka & Ashok Nath and his family’s historic, beautiful Maybach SW 38, originally owned by the Maharaja of Patiala, creating a strong connection between past and present. A fashion show by celebrated star designer Gaurav Gupta added a touch of modern elegance to the evening.

✨An exceptional multi-drone show lit up the sky in Udaipur and created a magical atmosphere — the flying patterns uniquely represented iconic highlights of Maybach history. Guests also had the chance to view a striking art exhibition by David LaChapelle, who had also previously collaborated with the Maybach Foundation.

The evening highlighted the strong and growing bond between Maybach and India, built on a shared appreciation for heritage and design.

🔗 This event was truly “beyond” and embodied the spirit of Maybach through a commitment to legacy, innovation and meaningful connection. A shared experience that looked to the future while honoring where we come from.

🙏 Thanks to the onsite support team Anja Steindl, Musa Binici, and Corinna Basler, PhD behind the scenes in Udaipur, India.

📅 Last Tuesday, Maybach Foundations’s President, Uli Maybach took the stage at the Beverly Hills Super Summit 2025, hosted by the Family Office Club, contributing to an engaging and inspirational panel discussion where he provided insights about the Maybach heritage, legacy and the importance of mentoring.

💡 The panel, titled “Family Office Focused: Learn What Preferred Structures, Strategies, and Communication Approaches are Working in Today’s Environment from Single and Multi-Family Offices,” brought together industry leaders to share their expertise and perspectives on navigating today’s complex and changing family office landscape.

👥 The panel, moderated by Robert Dalie, CFP® from The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co., featured an impressive lineup of experts.

📈 The discussion explored topics such as family office strategies, planning and building resilient legacies.

A very special thank you goes to the conference organizers: Tabatha East, Richard Wilson, Jimmy Egas, Vanessa Casal and Rachael Merkel for providing a great networking experience.

Maybach meets art: “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne-Claude (2005)

The Maybach Foundation is celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2025 and, by looking back on a legendary art project, would like to highlight the power of innovation and the realization of a vision by two outstanding personalities in the spirit of the Maybach values.

In February 2025, we commemorate an extraordinary collaboration with the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as the Maybach brand (DaimlerChrysler AG, now Mercedes-Benz Group AG) accompanied the celebrated art installation “The Gates” in New York City’s Central Park exactly 20 years ago. As brand ambassador at that time, Ulrich Schmid-Maybach was able to gain a personal impression of the now legendary presentation.

The world-famous and dazzling artist couple were overjoyed when they presented themselves to the international press in New York in February 2005. After 26 years of preparation and many negotiations with the City of New York, Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude had finally succeeded in realizing a project close to their hearts in the center of Manhattan. They were clearly enjoying the success of their art in their adopted home of New York, as the installation had been announced long in advance as an outstanding event. Due to spectacular earlier actions such as the wrapping of the Reichstag building in Berlin in 1995, public expectations were correspondingly high. They were not disappointed, and even the relatively mild weather provided ideal conditions for the unveiling of one of the most important works of conceptual art of the 20th century: Under a moderately cloudy, partly sunny and winter-blue sky, thousands of saffron-yellow lengths of fabric unfurled with great logistical effort and, swayed by the wind, created an unforgettable play of colors against the mighty grey city backdrop. The flags were hung at a height of 16.4 ft from a total of 7,503 metal gates, which wound their way along the footpaths through Central Park for 37 km. A total of 1076391 sq ft of synthetic fiber was specially produced and processed. The guests in the Central Park and the feuilletons celebrated the artist couple, who have steadfastly believed in the power of art and the favor of the people throughout their lives: Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s credo was to hold on to their own dreams and bring their visions to life for a short time in the realm of art in a visually powerful way.

Art and Nature

Like all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects, this work was also subject to the greatest respect for nature and the environment. No changes whatsoever were made to the park area – also prescribed by the authorities – and sturdy brackets were even specially made for the metal gates so that no holes in the ground or anchors were left behind later. With their emphasis on sustainability, the artist couple anticipated today’s approaches to modern exhibition practice by implementing recycling processes for all materials after dismantling to reintegrate metals and plastics into the raw material cycle without leaving any residue. “The Gates” was therefore not only conceived as an artistic gift to the city of New York and the people, but also as a decidedly environmentally conscious approach that also convinced influential supporters and ensured a further positive response. An extraordinary film documentary shows the first meeting in 1979 of Christo and Jeanne-Claude and the renowned lawyer and mediator Ted Kheel (1914 – 2010), the founder of the Nurture Nature Foundation, which is still active in New York today: https://nurturenature.org/pages/the-gates-kheel-video-clip

A noble representative car from the Maybach brand for Christo and Jeanne-Claude

In the course of completing the project, Christo and Jeanne-Claude were always able to count on strong companions who ensured a high level of public attention and made their work much easier: for example, the artist couple were provided with a particularly luxurious vehicle by the Maybach brand (DaimlerChrysler AG, now Mercedes-Benz Group AG) during the entire construction phase from January 3^rd, 2005, until the show was completed at the end of February 2005. Together with a chauffeur, a 6.17-meter-long Maybach 62 equipped with every conceivable comfort was available for Christo and Jeanne-Claude to use around the clock. The spacious and prestigious interior even made it possible to hold conferences with several people. Whenever the luxury limousine appeared around the Central Park and the fans spotted their idols in the back of the car, there was a huge cheer. Being able to receive the shouts of thanks from art enthusiasts in the comfort of a luxury limousine must have flattered the status-conscious couple, quite apart from such practical considerations as protection from winter temperatures.

Curiously, both had their birthdays on the same day, which lent this lifelong love story an almost fateful character: Christo Javacheff was born on June 13, 1935, in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, while Jeanne-Claude was born on the same day in Casablanca, Morocco. Both died in New York, Jeanne-Claude in 2009 and Christo in 2020. They devoted their lives entirely to art and merged into one artistic figure in their work.

Signed Christo works in the collection of the Maybach Foundation

In order to remain completely independent in their art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude generally did not accept any sponsorship money, and so it was also important to them to return the favor of being provided with the luxury car: One of the preparatory collages from Christo’s drawings for the project was therefore produced especially for the Maybach brand (DaimlerChrysler AG, now Mercedes-Benz Group AG) as a high-quality printed and limited special edition and hand-signed by Christo. The Maybach Foundation is also in possession of some of these valuable works, as the following illustration shows. In addition to their artistic quality, such graphics have a high commemorative value, because while fine art generally aims for longevity and preservation, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s spatial and wrapping art, which was detached from conventional norms, could only be experienced in reality for the moment or for a short period of time and is therefore more akin to a theatrical production in the sense of modern art happenings.

Joy and beauty in the moment

“The Gates” project was also only open to the public for a short time from February 12 – 28, 2005, and in the end attracted several million visitors, who moved through the gates like a solemn procession lasting several days as part of a major community event. Although the spiritual and solemn aesthetic effect was calculated, Christo and Jeanne-Claude did not want their work to be laden with too much symbolic content and cultural-historical derivations. Rather, the rhythmic sequence of the gates, which always ran at the same distance, and the energetically glowing orange of the fabric panels were intended to make walking along the paths a singular and momentary art experience in public space. Focused entirely on the perception of the present, according to Jeanne-Claude this production had no other purpose than to convey a fleeting moment of “joy and beauty”.

The cost of the project was immense and is estimated at 21 million US dollars. From today’s perspective, it is hard to imagine how the artists were able to turn this temporary work into reality over such a long period of time, including the financial and organizational burden. However, it is precisely this perseverance, adherence to artistic visions and charismatic persuasiveness that characterizes the great work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude: they never made themselves dependent on financial backers, they financed all projects themselves, well in advance, through the sale of preparatory signed sketches, drawings, collages and prints. Grandiose self-staging in public and a clever communication strategy helped to anticipate the success of the projects and link them with social significance and cultural status from the outset.