Maybach may get demoted to a sub-brand of Mercedes

2011 Maybach facelift 22.04.2010

Maybach badge would be like AMG except to identify high-end luxury variants of Mercedes-Benz vehicles

Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler is close to a decision on what to do about its other luxury brand, Maybach, and one of the options being weighed is making Maybach a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz.

Last week we reported that Daimler was considering a partnership with Aston Martin in order to keep the Maybach brand alive. In that report, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche candidly admitted that Maybach has been a dismal failure for the company.

According to a new report by Automotive News Europe, Daimler has three options on the table. One is to demote the division to a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, the second is to try to forge an alliance with Aston Martin while the third is to discontinue the brand altogether.

Reducing Maybach into a junior division of Mercedes-Benz would work much like the AMG brand identifies high-performance variants of models in the Benz lineup. Maybach badged variants of the S-, GL- and CL-Class vehicles would be luxurious high-end variants of those models.

Daimler has postponed a deadline for a decision on Maybach from July 1st to the end of July, when the next meeting of the company's supervisory board is scheduled.

Source: autonews.com (sub req)

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Pagani

The demotion to a subbrand of the Mercedes is the option to go, in my opinion, as this was the case in practice since the beginning. Mercedes 57 Maybach... sounds nice.

June 20, 2011 5:18 am

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1 reply

DdW

Lol.. I second that! If it is true, it would probably be a better alternative than being on its own, since its cars are glorified Mercedes versions.

June 21, 2011 7:13 am

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najdier

I shall not lament the demise of Maybach. The prices were unconscionable. Maybach-badged bread-and-butter Mercs, on the other hand, seem more reasonable. Oh, wait! Mercs are priced beyond the reach of mere mortals already.

June 20, 2011 5:51 am

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mechamynd

then "the rich guy" buys R&R or bentley, not a lame merc.

June 20, 2011 6:26 am

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1 reply

nforspeed91

If feel so bad for the guy who has to "settle" for the Mercerdes.

June 20, 2011 8:25 am

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CDspeed

The Maybach is just a plush S-class. I'd rather buy a Rolls Royce or Bentley, buying a Maybach would be like choosing a Lincoln Town Car over a BMW 7-Series.

June 20, 2011 7:00 am

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4 replies

nforspeed91

That makes no sense. Are you saying a Lincoln Town Car is us just a plush BMW 7 series?

June 20, 2011 8:26 am

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najdier

Please cite as an example a genuine luxury car. I didn't know FoMoCo produced anything that belonged to the category.

June 20, 2011 1:25 pm

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CDspeed

@ nforspeed91, no a Lincoln doesn't compare to any BMW. I used Lincoln as an example because even though Lincoln would like to compete in the luxury market against makers like BMW, they just never will. Just like Maybach can't compare to a Rolls Royce. I know that Maybach is looking to step up, but right now you'd be a fool to buy a Maybach over a Rolls.

June 20, 2011 1:55 pm

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nforspeed91

@CDspeed Ah! got it.

June 20, 2011 3:02 pm

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MadAboutCars

rubbish idea, they should do the exact opposite and produce bespoke vehicles, low in quantity high in profit margins... look at that 8 mil excelero (exclusive not bespoke interior) bought by a rapper called Birdman.

June 20, 2011 7:35 am

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Microice

I think the Maybach brand is now really weak and making it a Merc sub brand is just as good as goodbye as few would buy a Merc at the price of a Bentley or Rolls! Making a cheaper Maybach may solve the problem but I doubt that can happen through Aston.

June 20, 2011 8:38 am

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mongo

Instead Mercedes S, CL, GL Maybach-trim level make Maybach S, Maybach CL, Maybach GL, Maybach SL. They should differ more. Like Citroen C and DS.

June 20, 2011 10:55 am

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9TNine

I reckon if Maybach was a stand-alone brand depending on its own sales for survival... it would have gone bust!

June 20, 2011 1:09 pm

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SV-maniac91

i say all they need to do is give it better looks and make it more buff like RR did with the Phantom... unlike the maybach all mercedes did was give the S-class a big ass facelift that isnt much nicer than the S-class itself

June 20, 2011 3:46 pm

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norther

i say.... go with the aston :D

June 20, 2011 3:51 pm

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odysseus

The RR Ghost ist just a "plush" BMW 7 series. And the Bentley Continental is also not more than a "plush" VW Phaeton?

June 20, 2011 4:47 pm

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wjaprep

"Mercedes-Benz Maybach" I like it, but let's be honest, thanks to rappers *cough*Rick Ross*cough* The Maybach brand did become pretty popular in America

June 20, 2011 6:06 pm

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1995E320Coupe

Everybody here knows that countless tuners have provided Mercedes-Benz customers with bespoke personalization for decades. Some cars were subtle, some were wild. Such dream machines were certainly less accessible and arguably more desirable than what many already considered the overall best car in the world. With the credibility of the Mercedes-Benz brand as a starting point, owners could push the envelope to fantastic levels and, more often than not, maintain a sense of decorum and dignity. However ambitious the Maybach concept was, I remain convinced that its potential remains obscured by a name and a heritage that were never completely unearthed. I believe the best course of action for Daimler AG is to remain independent, learn a lesson from the Maybach experiment, and dust off its archives to more clearly appreciate the unparalleled heritage and potential of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Only Mercedes-Benz can openly and transparently sell the same model car to a taxicab driver and to a king because only the lesser brands require up-market divisions!

June 20, 2011 6:24 pm

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schizo

Hello!!! With the first batch of offerings it was already sort of a sub-brand already!!! They need to go the opposite way and really make a stand alone mantle piece car that probably won't sell much and maybe lose money on development cost...but hey...call it a research investment for future S-Class models...and re-coup the loss by selling cars at the current formula...a souped up S-Class with all the bling bling you can cram into a car. BUT this time around DON'T base your car on a S-Class platform that is going to be replaced before the milk expires. That was a bad move...

June 21, 2011 7:35 am

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PaulFontaine

Simply put the cars as laden with luxury as the were failed to impress or excite they need more design presence if anything and they can do well with markets in China , India and The Middle East still hungry for these types of cars

July 4, 2011 3:00 pm

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