The Mercedes-MayBac S-Class and Mercedes-MayBac GLS are included in the line of maximalist coaches, which has been made occasionally for the past 113 years.
There is a limited run of 150 units of the two-tone, 18-foot-long Mercedes-Maybach S680 sedan, developed by the late head of Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh. The electric off-road concept called Project Maybach was created by Abloh and Wagener.
The Mercedes-MaybachHaute Voiture concept was unveiled on May 18 and promises to launch next year. Soon, an electric Mercedes-Maybach SUV will follow. There is a new business plan at Mercedes-Benz that focuses on higher-end, higher-margin vehicles like those from its Maybach division, which has a young chief executive officer just a few months into his tenure.
It seems that Maybach could be poised for a resurgence.
During an interview in Monaco on May 18, Mercedes-Benz CEO Kaellenius said there had been a restart.
Maybach was founded in 1909 by Karl and his father, a prolific engine designer, and became synonymous with speed, power, and prestige. By 1921, it was making cars such as the 5-meter-long Maybach 22/70 HP W3 and the opulent Maybach SW 42, which featured innovatively operated windows.
During World War II, the company produced most of the engines for Nazi Germany's tanks, but infighting and disorganization caused it to collapse. Daimler-Benz AG acquired the rights to the engines in 1960.
At the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, Mercedes presented a Maybach concept and said it would produce a pair of cars within five years. The cars looked bloated and self-serious, and the brand later admitted it had lost $439,000 on each of the cars it sold. Daimler decided to sell off the remaining models in 2011. The two-tone saloons have been out of fashion for a long time since Jay-Z and West featured a dismembered 2004 May car in their song Otis.
The latest shift came after that. At the Los Angeles auto show in the summer of 2014, Mercedes revived the Maybach badge with a new version of the Mercedes S600 flagship sedan. The Mercedes-Maybach vehicles were designed to be used for chauffeured trips and came with a lot of creature comforts that made them feel closer to a private jet than a car. The entertainment system has fully reclining seats, beverage chillers, retractable work tables, and DJ-caliber headphones.
Sales have risen steadily. China was the main factor in boosting Mercedes-Maybach's worldwide sales last year, with the cars selling at a rate of more than 900 a month.
The brand is doing great, says Daniel Lescow, the new head of Maybach. We don't spend any media money on it.
Maybach says it has a plan to conjure something that will appeal to the world's moneyed class even if it can't draw from an esteemed (or, at least, consistent) background. It keeps the cars out of reach.
The purpose of Maybach is not to make new models every year. Lower volume, good customers. Every now and then, we will put the Maybach manufacturer brand on top of a few Mercedes products.
It punches you in the nose. It's Stylistically speaking, of course.
The Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture is named after a play on haute couture and the French word for car. Penny Lane would approve of the shaggy faux-fur mats that line its floors. The rose gold studs lining the seats and the matching Champagne flutes in the rear recall the look of a bridal shower. The intricate stitching on the leather seats and Maybach logos on the car scream for attention like a teenager on a sugar high.
Is it defiantly unapologetic? That is the whole idea.
Some people may say it is terrible, but that is exactly what we should do as a luxury brand.
The shock comes from the size and price of the vehicle as well as the extra personalization options available. The regular S-Class costs $74,000 more than the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It's bigger. The standard S-Class has a shorter wheelbase than the Maybach sedans.
Frank Stephenson, a Casablanca-born American automobile designer who worked for BMW, Mini, Ferrari, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo, says that Maybach wants to express wealth through footprint.
It's no wonder that the cars appeal to Chinese buyers, who tend to pay for more out of their pockets than the consumers of Mercedes vehicles. The average age of a Maybach buyer in China is in the 40s, while the average Mercedes buyer is in the 50s.
The Chinese market is not bashful about showing its wealth and the Maybach does that. There are a lot of people who would order a Maybach with gold wheels on it, if they could, or in all gold plate.
If you ask the people at Mercedes-Benz, it's an attitude that's spreading. The best chance of grabbing car buyers' attention is regardless of locale, they say.
China is the biggest car market in the world. It is the biggest luxury car market in the world. The United States is very important. Western Europe is important. Korea is important. Japan is important. The Middle East is important. The same type of vehicles are in demand in other markets.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
