maybach German luxury car manufacture

Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (German pronunciation: [ˈmaɪbax]^[1]) is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach with his son Karl Maybach as director. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as "Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH" (literally "Aircraft Engine Building Company") until 1918. Today, the brand is owned by Daimler AG and based in Stuttgart.

1909–1940: Early history

Maybach has historic roots through the involvement of Wilhelm Maybach, who was the technical director of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The company originally developed and manufactured diesel and gas engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. The Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I. 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.

Maybach contributed to the German Nazi war effort in World War II by producing the engines for many self-propelled guns and tanks. This included such as the Jagdpanther, Panther and Tiger tanks with the Maybach HL230. After the war the factory performed some repair work, but automotive production was never restarted, and some 20 years later, the company was renamed into MTU Friedrichshafen. Daimler-Benz purchased the company in 1960.