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Factoids about Automotive Industry Pioneer Wilhelm Maybach

Associated with opulence and exclusivity, Maybach vehicles (pronounced MY-bock) have been historically known for having lavish features and amenities, high speed, and an incredibly huge price tag. Specialty models of this automobile have been sold for $1 million and it's unlikely that you'll see many on the streets of Charleston, SC.   

Here is some interesting information about Wilhelm Maybach and his life from Fender Mender Of West Ashley in SC:

Automotive industry pioneer Wilhelm Maybach developed the luxury vehicle that bears his name.

Born in Heilbronn, Germany on February 9, 1846, Maybach was a German engineer, designer and industrialist. Some knew him as the “King of Constructors.”

In 1885, Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler, a German engineer, developed a revolutionary light, high-speed combustion engine. The engines were built for land, water and air, and used for the first motorcycle and motorboat. When Daimler and his partners formed Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) in 1890, Maybach held the position of chief designer. While there, he developed the first Mercedes model in early 1901, a 35 hp vehicle that caused quite a stir.

Later, he and his son Karl founded Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH in 1909 and produced engines for Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin's airships. The company was later renamed Maybach-Motorenbau Gmbtl and eventually introduced luxury Maybach vehicles. Maybach died on December 29, 1929, at the age of 83.

In 1960, Daimler-Benz acquired the Maybach brand. More than 40 years later, Daimler re-launched the Maybach in 2002 but due to poor sales, the last one was manufactured in 2012. Two years later, Daimler announced the revival of the Maybach and the company currently offers an ultra-luxury edition of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class under the Mercedes-Maybach brand.

More factoids about Wilhelm Maybach:

• The son of a carpenter, Maybach was one of five children and became an orphan at a young age.
• After his parents had died, Maybach was taken to live at the Bruderhaus in Reutlingen, an educational and social community where he was recognized for his talents and met his mentor, Gottlieb Daimler.
• Some of Maybach’s inventions include the toothed gear transmission (1889), the spray nozzle carburetor (1893), the tubular radiator (1897), and the honeycomb radiator (1900).
• Wilhelm Maybach became part of the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1996.
• Ulrich Schmid-Maybach founded the Wilhelm and Karl Maybach Foundation in 2005 in honor of his grandfather Karl and great-grandfather Wilhelm.
• According to the Robb Report, the #12 Car of the Year in 2016 was the Mercedes-Maybach S600 with a starting price of $189,350.Celebrities Rihanna, Madonna, Kanye West and Jay Leno all have owned a Maybach.

Sources: History.com, MSN and Auto History News