DNA Expression

Long before Wilhelm Maybach made an impact in the world of engineering, an idea had been captivating the great minds of the time: to create a vehicle that does not need horses or other external forces but propels itself, an ‘automobile’. However, the engines never were effective enough to turn this idea into reality. A first breakthrough was the Christian Reithmann patent from 1860 which set a new standard with its four-stroke operating principle. Though groundbreaking, these engines were too heavy and lacked power to be mobile. The actual breakthrough then came in 1883 when the first fast running combustion engine was developed by Wilhelm Maybach with the support of Gottlieb Daimler who was managing the business side of things. Two years later, after another evolution – the single-cylinder had shifted from the horizontal to the vertical – Wilhelm Maybach’s new, groundbreaking invention was finally perfected. His design became known as the grandfather clock, its compact construction combined with power and low weight made it a milestone in mobility as it was easily installed in a variety of vehicles.

DNA Expression

Having Developed The Grandfather Clock Engine, Another Question Came Up: What Kind Of Vehicle Should First Be Equipped With This New Invention? The Choice Fell On A Two Wheeled Wooden Construction Into Which A Smaller Version Of The Grandfather Clock Was Installed. It Became Known As The ‘Reitwagen’ (Riding Wagon) Which Can Be Seen As The World’s First Motorcycle. The Grandfather Clock As A Fast-Running Engine With A Weight To Power Ratio Which Was Unparalleled At That Time Was Used In Many Applications In The Years To Follow. This Engine Provided The Base For Another Evolution Of The Combustion Engine Which Wilhelm Maybach Conceived – The Combination Of Two Cylinders.

Maybach history Event

In A Newspaper Article On The World Exhibition In Paris 1889, Wilhelm Maybach (43) Is Called The “King Of Designers”. At This Event, His Groundbreaking Inventions Are Presented: The First Two-Cylinder Engine And The First Four-Wheeled Passenger Car With Its Four-Speed Manual Gearbox Were Exhibited (‘Daimler Stahlradwagen’). The Presented Products Would Become The Base For The French Production Of Automobiles.

Maybach history Event

Wilhelm (45) Decides To Leave The DMG (Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft = Daimler Engine Corporation). He Continues Supporting Gottlieb (57) In His Automotive Research And Development In His Apartment At ‘Königstraße’ In Cannstatt And In The Garden Hall Of The Former Hotel Hermann. (12 Employees Were Hired).

DNA Expression

The So-Called ‘Belle Epoque’ From The 1870s To The 1910s Saw Years Of Prosperity Which Were A Nourishing Ground For New Fashions, Among Which A Craze For Speed That Started Out With Bicycles And Quickly Escalated To Cars. Emil Jellinek, A Well-Connected Businessman Was Among One Of The Enthusiasts Of This Entirely New Sub-Culture. He Commissioned A New Kind Of Vehicle At The Daimler Engine Company Which Was Specifically Designed For Races. It Was Supposed To Be Named After Mercedes, Jellinek’s Daughter Whose Name He Had Already Used In Races Before. Wilhelm Maybach Took Care Of This Difficult Job. The Result Was The First Mercedes Automobile: A Combination Of A New Kind Of Chassis With A Lower Point Of Gravity And A Powerful, Reliable 35 Hp Engine. Maybach Also Provided Another Constructive Feature: The ‘Honeycomb Cooler’. This Vehicle Was An Essential Step Towards The Modern Automobile And Left Its Origins In Carriage Manufacturing Behind. The Unique Car Lived On In Different Iterations In A Very Successful Series, The ‘Mercedes Simplex’. It Was The Beginning Of A New Era, The Mercedes Era, As Paul Meyan, President Of The French Automobile Club Coined It In 1901.

Maybach history Event

1909 Saw The Establishment Of A New Company, The So Called Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH. It Had Been The Result Of Wilhelm Maybach Being Banned From Working In Engine Construction As He Had Left DMG Prior. Under The Supervision And Guidance Of His Father, Karl Maybach Had Been Developing A New Racing Car Engine. The Latter Seemed Also A Good Fit For Aerial Applications. Wilhelm Maybach Used His Contacts To Count Zeppelin Who Had Been Facing Backlashes Due To Unreliable Engines. The Cooperation Of Zeppelin And Maybach Began – Far From Lake Constance, In Bissingen, Where A Local Machine Factory Was To Become The Supplier Of Parts For The New Developments.