Maybach - The Journey Begins

Maybach Rollout at Sindelfingen

From Sindelfingen via Southampton to the world premiere in New York aboard the luxury liner

By Text and photos courtesy of DaimlerChrysler AG
June 25, 2002 1:27 PM
Filed Under: Maybach

Press Release

The first Maybach leaves the Manufaktur in Sindelfingen
A new star is born Sindelfingen -- The countdown to the world premiere of the new Maybach has begun: the very first of the exclusive high-end luxury Saloons leaves the Maybach Manufaktur at the DaimlerChrysler plant today. The roll-out of this prestige vehicle marks the start of an eight-day journey which will take it first to the English port of Southampton and then on to North America aboard the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth 2. As the United States will be the biggest market for this exceptional vehicle, it is only fitting that New York should have been chosen as the location for the world premiere of the Maybach 62 on the morning of July 2, 2002. During the Atlantic crossing, the high-end luxury Saloon will be protected by a special glass container on the sun deck of the Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the world's most luxurious cruise ships and currently the only great ocean liner in regular service between Europe and America. This voyage recalls the golden era of the original Maybachs in the 1920s and 30s when fashionable society would travel to the US in style aboard the QE2's predecessors. After an absence of more than 60 years, the luxury car brand is returning to continue the tradition established by the legendary Maybach models of the past. Together with Mercedes-Benz, Maybach was regarded as representing the elite of German vehicle manufacturing from 1921 to 1941. The years ahead are set to see a return to this status quo. The time-honored name "Maybach" is returning as a separate brand in its own right within the DaimlerChrysler Group. The new high-end luxury Saloon being presented by the Stuttgart-based auto maker is distinguished by its exceptional spaciousness, supreme quality and exclusive style. In the field of technology, the Maybach benefits from the ground-breaking innovations developed by its sister brand, Mercedes-Benz, which has been setting world-class standards for safety, comfort, reliability and durability for years. Technological tours de force from Mercedes, such as the high-performance electrohydraulic brake system Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC™) or the electronically controlled AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) air suspension have undergone further development for the Maybach and are included as standard equipment. An exceptionally smooth twelve-cylinder power plant which has an output of 405 kW/550 hp and maximum torque of 900 Newton metres is at work under the bonnet of the new Maybach. This newly developed unit, which offers more power and torque than any other series-production saloon engine in the world, has everything it takes to deliver superior driving performance. New Center of Excellence at the heart of the luxury car brand DaimlerChrysler is currently setting up the Centre of Excellence (COE) at the Sindelfingen site in the immediate vicinity of the Maybach Manufaktur facility. This will in future be at the heart of the luxury car brand and is where Maybach customers will be offered comprehensive help and advice. Further Maybach Centres are to be established in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States. Here, customers can meet with their Personal Liaison Manager (PLM), who will be on hand at all times to assist them with any questions they may have about the car. The Maybach approach to customer care services is therefore also entirely new. The styling and appointments of every Maybach Saloon are the result of intensive discussions held between the customer, the customer's Personal Liaison Manager and the designers and engineers of the high-end luxury brand. Each and every vehicle is therefore built practically as a one-off on the basis of specific customer requirements. High technology meets traditional craftsmanship in the Maybach Manufaktur Set up by DaimlerChrysler at its Sindelfingen plant, the Maybach Manufaktur covers an area of 21,000 square metres and has a workforce of some 330 highly skilled staff who are responsible for building the exclusive cars. With their know-how and expertise they ensure that the Maybach Saloons are the epitome of perfection in every respect and that even the most exacting customer requirements can be turned into reality. From autumn 2002, an average of five Maybach Saloons will leave the state-of-the-art Manufaktur every day. Production of this luxury car is characterised by a marriage of high technology and traditional craftsmanship which creates ideal conditions for attaining the highest levels of precision and perfection. This new prestige car therefore represents a continuation of the tradition established by the Maybach vehicles of the twenties and thirties whose bodies were also hand-built with the greatest care. High technology plays a particularly dominant role at the bodyshell stage, notable examples being the use of lasers to weld the aluminium doors, an automatic "roll-hemming" system and state-of-the-art industrial robots which weld the 600 or so bodywork bolts. These processes, which have not been used in the car production sector before, have been specially developed for the Maybach Manufaktur. The vehicle assembly process is divided between 21 build stations, each of which is staffed by a team of two to four employees operating as a self-managed work group. Luxury-car "Manufaktur" situated at DaimlerChrysler's biggest plant The Maybach Manufaktur is integrated in the Mercedes plant at Sindelfingen, from whose infrastructure it benefits. With a total workforce of more than 32,000 and covering an area of some two square kilometres, the plant -- which was established in 1915 -- is the largest facility in the DaimlerChrysler Group. The auto maker produces about half a million passenger cars belonging to the Mercedes C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and CL-Class model series here each year. The plant has close ties with the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre which is staffed by over 8000 designers and engineers who create and develop tomorrow's Mercedes vehicles. World premiere of the high-end luxury car on July 2, 2002 in New York Carried by a truck which has been specially developed for Maybach deliveries, the first Maybach leaves the Manufaktur in Sindelfingen on June 24, 2002 for Southampton on the south coast of England where it joins the passengers and crew of the Queen Elizabeth 2 on June 26, 2002. With the Maybach on its sun deck, the luxury liner sails for New York at 5 p.m. (local time) the same day. The Queen Elizabeth 2 is scheduled to enter the Hudson River on the morning of July 2, 2002 and will dock at one of the Manhattan piers at about 6 a.m. (local time). Shortly thereafter, Jürgen Hubbert, the Daimler-Chrysler Board Member responsible for Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach will present the high-end luxury Saloon to the world for the first time. Maybach -- the high-end luxury car brand
Exclusivity and top technology The combination of cutting-edge technology and tradition has brought the Maybach high-end luxury car brand back to life within the DaimlerChrysler Group and fuelled high expectations for the future. The celebrated name contains a sense of both homage and duty. The target today is as ambitious as ever: to develop a saloon of peerless perfection. For the second time in the history of the automobile, Maybach is out to set the standard in the exclusive luxury car segment. The design, specification and technology of the new Maybach satisfy even the most demanding requirements. Customers are able to choose from materials of the highest quality for the interior appointments -- beautifully soft leathers, fine carpeting and exquisite wood trims. Indeed, the Maybach brand can be said to represent a new dimension in high-end luxury motoring in more ways than one. Rear passengers of the 6.17 metre-long Maybach 62, which has a 3.83-metre wheelbase, enjoy the opulence of individual seats, which they can adjust into an extremely comfortable reclining position with automatically extending leg and foot supports, all at the touch of a button. In the interests of entertainment and information, the rear compartment is also equipped with two colour monitors, which are linked up to the standard-fitted TV receiver and DVD player. The powerful telecommunications system comprises a mobile phone as well as a permanently installed car phone. Masterpieces of contemporary automotive technology The high-end luxury Saloon is powered by the newly developed 405 kW/550-hp "Type 12" Maybach engine which offers more power and torque than any other series-production passenger car engine in the world. With its displacement of 5.5 litres, bi-turbocharging and 900 Newton metres of torque, this power unit has everything it takes to deliver superior driving performance whilst providing the high level of comfort expected of the lux-ury car brand. The electronically controlled AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) air suspension is one of the latest innovations from Mercedes which will also be a prime fea-ture of the Maybach. Using sophisticated micro-electronics, AIRMATIC DC is able to control the suspension and damping simultaneously in order to provide unsurpassed dynamic handling coupled with impeccable ride comfort. The SBCâ„¢ electrohydraulic braking system has undergone further development for use in the Maybach to ensure that the Saloon has braking power in keeping with its exceptional performance characteristics. Personal customer support around the clock In addition to its focus on achieving technical perfection and stylish elegance, the new Maybach prestige car brand also attaches top priority to providing attentive customer service for its highly discerning clientele. This new service concept is built around Personal Liaison Managers, each of whom is responsible for a very small group of Maybach owners. At the customer's request, the Personal Liaison Manager can provide support and assistance with a wide range of activities -- such as organising visits to the Maybach Manufaktur or scheduling vehicle servicing, for example. Following the market premiere of the Maybach, customers will be able to contact their Personal Liaison Manager around the clock. The styling and appointments of the high-end luxury car are the result of an intensive exchange of ideas between the customer, the customer's Personal Liaison Manager and the designers and development engineers. Their meeting points are the Maybach Centers around the world or the Center of Excellence, which DaimlerChrysler is currently setting up in Sindelfingen. The Center accommodates the Maybach Atelier covering an area of around 2200 square metres. Here, customers can look through a comprehensive selection of the most sumptuous materials, exclusive colors, and innovative technical details. This wide variety of fine woods, paint finishes, leathers and other exquisite appointments forms the basis for the extremely personalized styling of each and every Maybach Saloon. Complete servicing package and global transport logistics for Maybach customers The luxury car brand's customer care concept also comprises a complete servicing package planned right down to the finest detail for the Maybach customers and their unique cars. The first point of contact for questions relating to vehicle maintenance or repair is the Personal Liaison Manager who coordinates all the necessary steps following discussion with the customer. Maybach is working together with skilled partners to develop a global logistics concept which ensures that the Saloons are transported with the greatest care and speed. Within Europe, each Maybach will first be carefully protected and then transported by truck from wherever it is in use to the nearest available Service Centre, as agreed in advance by the Personal Liaison Manager and the customer. Elsewhere in the world, as well as in regions where there is no other alternative, the car-maker will deploy sea/air freight containers which have been customised for the luxury Saloons and therefore offer a particularly high level of protection during transport. The Maybach Manufaktur in Sindelfingen
High technology and traditional craftsmanship The production of the new Maybach is characterized by a unique synthesis of high technology and traditional craftsmanship which results in the highest levels of precision and perfection. The superb workmanship extends to even the smallest details which unite to create a prestige automobile whose peerless elegance reflects the very highest values. This new luxury car is therefore very much in the tradition of the Maybach models of the twenties and thirties whose bodies were also hand built by skilled craftsmen. But in contrast to this earlier Maybach era, during which famous coachbuilders were entrusted with the task of complementing the outstanding engineering of the chassis and engines with bodies whose appointments left nothing to be desired in terms of quality or individuality, the new Maybach is built entirely by DaimlerChrysler. The wealth of experience which the Stuttgart-based automaker has acquired through the development and production of luxury saloons means that it is ideally placed to revive the Maybach brand. The most important factor in this respect is the close cooperation with the sister brand, Mercedes-Benz, whose position as a leading global innovator means that it sets the standards in many fields of automotive technology. The cradle of the new Maybach is to be found at DaimlerChrysler's Sindelfingen plant whose proud tradition of car production dates back to 1915. A state-of-the-art "Manufaktur" section covering an area of 21,000 square metres has been set up here and will have an average daily output of five Maybach Saloons from autumn 2002. With every vehicle being built individually in accordance with the personal style and specific requirements of its future owner, each Maybach will be a superb one-off. Some 330 highly skilled staff are responsible for building the exclusive cars in the Manufaktur. With their know-how and expertise they ensure that the Maybach Saloons are the epitome of perfection in every respect and that even the most exacting customer requirements can be turned into reality. The luxury car brand employs only experienced, skilled workers who are drawn from the Mercedes production sector and undergo a special training programme to prepare them for their new tasks in the Maybach Manufaktur. Expert craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology at the bodyshell stage Production of a Maybach takes about four weeks in all. It begins in the body plant where high technology and traditional craftsmanship complement each other perfectly: Expert craftsmanship is called for when joining, tensioning and welding the side panels as well as when tack-welding these large components to the rest of the body-in-white. Various other body sub-assemblies as well as the doors, bonnet and roof are also completed manually. Similarly, the precise assembly of the front section, floor assembly and rear of the prestige luxury Saloon is also performed by hand with the greatest care. By contrast, high-technology production equipment plays a dominant role in those areas where it offers clear advantages over manual assembly proc-esses. For example, state-of-the-art laser welding technology makes it possible to join the inner and outer shells of the aluminium doors and their components with each other directly. The hemming of the doors, front wings, bonnet and roof is performed entirely automatically thanks to a powerful, programmable system which changes tools itself and deploys them as required. And no manual worker can match the speed and precision with which industrial robots fit the Maybach bodyshell with some 600 bolts of the most diverse types and sizes in a single operation. These bolts serve to attach cables and hoses during the subsequent assembly of the vehicle. Offering high performance and flexibility, the bolt-fitting robot, automatic hemming system and the laser welding station are new developments which have not been used in the car production sector before. Components from system suppliers and other Mercedes plants The Maybach Manufaktur receives parts of the bodyshell from highly skilled system suppliers who also provide the wiring harness, instrument panel, door linings, rear centre console and panoramic glass roof. As these suppliers also work in accordance with the Manufaktur principle, they are able to guarantee the highest level of quality and perfection. The twelve-cylinder power plant for the new Maybach is built at the special engine manufacturing facility within the DaimlerChrysler Berlin plant while the transmission and axles come from the original Mercedes plant in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. Painstaking craftsmanship ensures a perfect paint finish of enduring quality The bodyshells leave the body shop for a paint shop specially built for the Maybach where specialists apply particularly high-quality paint finishes -- again, by hand. It is at this stage that the Saloons receive one of their exclusive hallmarks: the two-tone exterior paint finish. Customers of the luxury car brand have an initial choice of 17 paint-finish colors which they can combine as they wish. This rich spectrum offers more than a hundred different combinations for personalising the exterior finish. Special requirements can, of course, also be met. The superb premium quality of the multi-layer top coat which is applied by hand is exemplified by its color intensity, gloss and resistance to ageing. Furthermore, an additional, newly developed clear coat ensures greater scratch resistance and the best possible degree of chip protection. Vehicle assembly is performed by 21 build stations The painted bodies pass through the final assembly stage on skids which are moved by hand. Every aspect of this phase is based on the principle of the contemporary Manufaktur; a conscious decision was taken to forgo mechanical conveyors and automated systems in favour of a manual approach more compatible with attaining the highest degree of precision. Handling systems are used only in situations where they reduce the physical strain on the employees -- for the installation of heavy components such as the panoramic glass roof, instrument panel, engine or seats, for example. The vehicle assembly process is divided between 21 build stations. There are also three completion stations, two stations for the installation of special features requested by the customer and two stations for special-protection variants. Each station is staffed by a team of two to four employees operating as a self-managed work group. The integration of the external partners in the Maybach Saloon production process ensures that the required components arrive at the Manufaktur on time, meet the high quality standards and comply with the special wishes of the individual customer. The DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen
Largest industrial facility in south-west Germany With a workforce of more than 32,000 and covering an area of some two million square metres, the Sindelfingen plant is both the largest DaimlerChrysler production plant in the world and the biggest industrial facility in south-west Germany. About half a million Mercedes-Benz passenger cars are built at Sindelfingen each year -- representing some 2100 vehicles every day. The product range comprises the Mercedes C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and CL-Class model series. Autumn 2002 will see the start of production of the new Maybach in a state-of-the-art "Manufaktur" on this site. Whereas Sindelfingen is already well known for its high-volume production, the arrival of the Maybach Manufaktur -- which will produce an average of five of the high-end luxury Saloons each day -- will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the proud history of the plant. The state-of-the-art Manufaktur draws on the wealth of experience and technical know-how to be found in Sindelfingen and also benefits from the plant's infrastructure. Side-by-side with the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre The Sindelfingen site was established in 1915 by the then Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in order to produce aircraft and aero-engines. Just four years later, the company began manufacturing car bodies at the site. Sindelfingen has developed continuously ever since and is today regarded as a site which is exceptionally well equipped for state-of-the-art car production. It enjoys this reputation because the development, production planning and production sectors are situated side by side here. This arrangement makes it possible to work hand in hand on the design of new models, to test innovative solutions at an early stage and so meet all the requirements for the highest level of product quality. The heart of the passenger car development sector is the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre (MTC), which is staffed by more than 8000 designers and engineers. Flexible production and top quality The Mercedes-Benz product range is geared to offering each customer a car which meets his or her individual needs. Every component has to be in the right place at the right time -- a requirement which is not made any simpler by the large number of engine variants and the wide choice of equipment and appointments. Smart logistics and an effective control system guide each new car through every phase -- from automatic order processing through production to invoicing -- and ensure that the car which rolls off the production line meets the customer's specification. Furthermore, a car plant needs to be able to react flexibly to the market. This is why different model series are built on the same assembly line at Sindelfingen. Production at Sindelfingen is divided into four sectors which are grouped in large complexes of buildings and linked by automatic conveyor systems and automatically guided vehicles: