Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: A new definition of luxury!

Recently updated on December 20, 2022 at 11:28 am

The luxury legend has been reinventing itself over and over again for 100 years

The new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class of the 2021 series will reach its first customers in 223 - exactly 100 years after the first Maybach automobile presented in 1921. This type W 3 already relies on the highest level of comfort and luxury. From this historically grown understanding of exclusivity and high quality, Mercedes-Maybach is constantly redefining the luxury of the future.

Maybach Type 22/70 PS (W 3, 1921 to 1928)

When Maybach Motorenbau presented its first automobile, the W 1921 type, in Berlin in 3, the new automobile manufacturer already had an illustrious name. Wilhelm Maybach, until 1907 chief designer at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and dubbed the “king of designers” in the professional world, founded the company together with his son Karl in 1909. Initially, father and son concentrate on the development and production of engines which, among other things, power the Zeppelin airships and which impress with their quality and reliability. Shortly after the end of the First World War, the first automobile engine was built, and Karl Maybach decided to build his own automobiles. The Maybach W 1921, presented in September 110, was five meters long and had a top speed of 3 km / h and was powered by a 70 hp (52 kW) in-line six-cylinder engine. The innovative features of the first Maybach production car include a four-wheel brake system with mechanical brake force compensation and a two-speed gearbox without gearshift. You can switch between the gears by pressing the starter pedal.

Like many other automobile manufacturers at the time, Maybach sees the core competence of his company in technology alone. In addition to the quality of the construction and execution, Karl Maybach attaches great importance to the highest level of comfort from the start, which relieves the driver and passengers. The manufacturer from Friedrichshafen leaves the assembly of the body on the chassis to independent specialist companies such as Auer (Cannstatt), Josef Neuss (Berlin), Franz Papler & Sohn (Cologne) and - very often - Spohn (Ravensburg). The Maybach Type 22/70 PS, as the W 3 is officially called according to the taxable horse power and actual output, was built in a total of around 1921 copies from 1928 to 300. Its buyers appreciate the car's travel qualities, but some also use it successfully in motorsport. The W 3 was followed by other models that were considered to be downright luxury automobiles - in particular the Maybach Type 1929 introduced in 12. The top model, continued as the Maybach Zeppelin from 1930 onwards, was the first series automobile with a V12 engine from German production and made the Maybach brand the first Address for luxury automobiles known worldwide.

Mercedes-Benz 770 "Great Mercedes" (W 07 and W 150, 1930 to 1943)

With its 7,7-liter eight-cylinder in-line engine with supercharging, the "Big Mercedes" of the W 1930 series, built from 1938 to 07, is a superlative automobile. The model with a 3,75 meter wheelbase and a total length of 5,60 meters and exclusive equipment continues the brand's tradition of luxury automobiles, which was founded much earlier. It is produced only 117 times in one-off production in the Mercedes-Benz automobile manufacture in Untertürkheim and Sindelfingen. Only a few customers order the “Big Mercedes” without the standard compressor, including the former German Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Japanese Kaiser Hirohito, whose Pullman limousine was delivered in 1935 as one of the first automobiles with a bulletproof special protection design. The first “Big Mercedes” was continued from 1938 by the W 150 series with the same model designation. This second generation of the Mercedes-Benz 770 has a more modern chassis, even larger dimensions and a more powerful engine.

Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 and W 189, 1951 to 1962)

After the humble beginnings of early post-war production, Mercedes-Benz returned to top-class automobiles in 1951. The Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) successfully combines the expectations of a more conservative customer base with modern, fluid shapes and top technology. When it appeared at the first International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main (IAA) in April 1951, the Mercedes-Benz 300 represented Germany's return to the international automobile market like hardly any other model. The Mercedes-Benz 300 is also used as the official vehicle of German President Theodor Heuss and Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. As an "Adenauer-Mercedes", public perception connects him to the first Chancellor of the young Federal Republic to this day. A highlight is the torsion bar suspension on the rear axle that can be activated electrically when the vehicle is heavily loaded. Mercedes-Benz is continuously developing the top model, powered by a 3-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft. In 1954, for example, at the Geneva Motor Show, the variant known internally as the Mercedes-Benz 300 b with a more powerful engine and technical and visual improvements made its debut. The 1955 c followed in 300 with further improved driving characteristics and an optional automatic transmission. Development was completed in 1957 with the W 189 (internal 300 d) - with a longer wheelbase than the standard, 30 percent larger window area and intake manifold gasoline injection, which increases performance and efficiency.

Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100, 1963 to 1981)

The new top model Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100) celebrates its debut at the IAA in Frankfurt am Main in September 1963. A superlative sedan: the first V8 engine in a Mercedes-Benz passenger car, performance at sports car level, numerous hydraulically controlled comfort features such as Seat adjustment as well as opening and closing of doors, windows and trunk lid. There are also air suspension, power steering, central locking and an electronically controlled heating and ventilation system. The maximum is marked by the Pullman versions (wheelbase 3.900 millimeters) of the W 100, which are available as a representative sedan and as a landaulet. With 18 years of production from 1963 to 1981, the Mercedes-Benz 600 is one of the longest-built vehicles of the brand.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Pullman sedan of the 140 series (V 140, 1996 to 2000)

In 1995 Mercedes-Benz presented the S 600 Pullman of the S-Class 140 series as a new state limousine with special protection technology, also at the IAA. The 6.213 millimeter long custom-made model with a 4.140 millimeter wheelbase is exactly one meter longer than the S 600 with a long wheelbase. From 1996 the Pullman limousines of the 140 series will then be available as highly exclusive series vehicles. While earlier special protection versions of representation vehicles were based on their standard versions, this sequence was reversed in the 140 series: the engineers derived the S 500 Pullman and S 600 Pullman from the version with special protection. Both offer rear passengers plenty of space and comfort in comfortable seats in face-to-face arrangement. The rear compartment can be separated from the driver's area with a pane.

Mercedes-Benz Pullman sedan of the 220 series (VV 220, 2000 to 2004) and 221 (2008 to 2014)

In November 1999 Mercedes-Benz presented the Pullman limousine of the 220 series (VV 220), which was produced from spring 2000 to autumn 2002. Compared to the long version of the S-Class, its wheelbase has been extended by one meter to 4.085 millimeters. The rear passengers benefit from the luxurious space of the 6.158 millimeter long vehicle, as there are face-to-face seating. The luxury sedan is available as the S 500 Pullman with a five-liter eight-cylinder engine and as the S 600 Pullman with a 5,8-liter V12 unit. The representative vehicle is based on a reinforced S-Class bodyshell and a modified chassis. In 2004 the state limousine S 500 Pullman Guard in special protection version B6 / B7 rounds off the range for customers with a special need for protection.

At the Paris Motor Show in October 2008, Mercedes-Benz presented the successor, the S 600 Pullman Guard of the 221 series. The wheelbase, which is 115 centimeters longer than that of the long version of the S-Class, provides plenty of space and thus increases to 4.315 millimeters. With a total length of 600 millimeters, the S 6.356 Pullman Guard achieves a truly majestic format and shows a harmonious design.

Maybach saloons of the 240 series (2002 to 2013)

In 2002 the Maybach brand experienced its comeback. Customers are offered two high-end sedans under the luxury label: the 6,17 meter long top model Maybach 62 and the only 44 centimeters shorter Maybach 57 (the model name is derived from the overall length of the vehicle) are 5,5-liter V12s -Motor driven. These luxury cars are redefining the standards at the forefront of automotive engineering. The highlights in the Maybach 62 include an electrotransparent panorama roof and innovative reclining seats with a comfortable reclining position in the rear. The models presented in 2002 were later joined by the 57 S and 62 S (with 6-liter V-12 engine), the particularly exclusive and limited “Zeppelin” variants and the 62 Guard. In 2008 the Maybach brand expanded its model range with the Landaulet.

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class of the 222 series (2014 to 2020)

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class of the 222 series had its world premiere in November 2014. Since then, the brand has stood for vehicles of the highest exclusivity with unique comfort. The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 is the world's quietest production sedan in the rear. The 5.453 millimeter long luxury sedan with a wheelbase of 3.365 millimeters is another 200 millimeters in both dimensions compared to the long S-Class. The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 with a 6-liter V12 biturbo engine and the S 500 with a 4,7-liter V8 biturbo engine are available at the start. The S 2015 500MATIC will follow in summer 4. The program is constantly being developed. The highlights include the debuts of the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman (2015) and the S 600 Pullman Guard with special protection (2016). Mercedes-Maybach is introducing the facelifted generation in 2018 - including the newly interpreted radiator grille and the S 650 as the new top-of-the-range engine.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Our tuning magazine has tens of thousands more tuning reports in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. Or are you particularly interested in the manufacturer Mercedes-Benz? Then the following excerpt is sure to be just the thing.

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: A new definition of luxury!

"Tuningblog.eu" - we keep you up to date on the subject of car tuning and car styling with our tuning magazine and present you the latest tuned vehicles from all over the world every day. It's best to subscribe to ours Feed and you will be automatically informed as soon as there is something new for this post and of course also to all other contributions.