Categories: Uncategorized

February 09, 1846 – Wilhelm Maybach is born

Hailed as the “King of Constructors” in France during the 1890s for his contributions to the blossoming automotive industry, Wilhelm Maybach was a German inventor, engineer and entrepreneur. Born on this day in 1846, by the end of the 19th century he would partner with Gottlieb Daimler to build their first car in 1889 and further develop engines for land and sea, and eventually air. Their motors were fitted to the first motorcycle and the first motorboat and in 1902 were used in production of Mercedes automobiles. After a falling out with DMG in 1907 Wilhelm would found Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH. The company produced engines for Zeppelins and following the Versailles Treaty in 1919 the company began producing large luxury vehicles under the name Maybach. Following Maybach’s death in 1929 the company continued to high end automobiles until joining the German war effort in 1940 to build tank engines. Following WWII the company resumed luxury vehicle production and was acquired by Daimler-Benz in the 1960s.  Wilhelm MaybachMaybach Zeppelin DS 8, 1938-39, exhibited in the Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, Seestraße 22, Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Brian Corey

Recent Posts

April 16, 2014: Mazda Honors a Quarter-Century of Driving Joy with the 25th Anniversary MX-5 Miata

By Alexander-93 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132180377 On April 16, 2014, the vibrant…

6 days ago

April 15, 1964 – Who bought the first Mustang?

On this day in 1964, two days before the official Ford Mustang on-sale date, one…

7 days ago

April 8, 2004: A Million Strong – The Skoda Fabia and the Legacy of Czech Ingenuity

Skoda Fabia VRs. By Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - Skoda Fabia vRS, CC BY…

2 weeks ago

April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies

Henry Ford, with son Edsel, standing with the 15 millionth Ford and the original Quadricycle.…

2 weeks ago

April 6, 1904 – VW Beetle & Porsche 356 designer Erwin Komenda is born

Sure, Ferdinand Porsche often gets the credit for the Volkswagen Type 1, but let's not…

2 weeks ago

April 5, 1951 – Dean Kamen, Segway inventor, is born

Dean Kamen on a Segway, one of his many inventions. By Jared C. Benedict on…

2 weeks ago