Maybach Preview

MM - the legendary mark of quality defining unrivalled automotive exclusivity has acquired renewed splendour: two intersecting Ms in a spherical triangle form the insignia of Maybach Manufaktur, the new high-end luxury car brand from the DaimlerChrysler Group. After an absence of over 60 years, it is comeback time in March 2002 at the 72nd Geneva Motor Show.

The striking "M" emblem is steeped in tradition. For two decades - between 1921 and 1941 - this badge adorned some very special cars, which lined up alongside Mercedes Saloons in the elite echelon of German vehicle manufacture.

Outstanding styling, status, flawlessness and technical mastery gave the range of majestic Maybach Saloons and Cabriolets - whose flagship "Zeppelin" model was some 5.5 metres in length and ranked as one of the most prestigious German cars of its time - quite a reputation. A brochure on the luxury car brand produced in 1934 described its products as "cars of the greatest elegance and strength which you would give your last wish to own". DaimlerChrysler felt an obligation to live up to the billing.

With over 100 years of experience and technical expertise in the development and production of luxurious saloons through its Mercedes-Benz brand, the DaimlerChrysler Group was in the ideal position to revive the Maybach name. The plan to build a high-end luxury car with the Maybach badge hinged on close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Maybach's sister company is a leading figure in the development of innovations and sets standards in terms of safety, quality, reliability and durability. The new Maybach can only benefit from this technological head start.

Pioneering state-of-the-art technology coupled with unparalleled prestige

Mercedes-Benz and Maybach were Germany's foremost luxury car brands in the 1920s and 30s, and a return to this status quo looks to be on the cards for the years to come.

The future will see the two brands advancing hand-in-hand under the umbrella of the Daimler-Chrysler Group: Mercedes-Benz - the technological pace-setter and the world's most successful manufacturer of premium cars in high-growth market segments and Maybach - the brand for first-class, extremely individual, high-end luxurious and prestigious saloons, which combine technical perfection with innovative Mercedes technology.

The symbiosis of ground-breaking Mercedes developments with the exclusivity and individuality you expect from the Maybach name has again conjured up an automotive gem of peerless stature - the ultimate in automotive construction.