1934 Maybach Typ W6 DSH 5.2

Vehicle Overview

After the company’s founder passed away in 1929, his son Karl followed as CEO and kept the brand alive during the Great Depression years, and in 1934 introduced the Typ W6.

The name DSH came from the “Dopple-Sechs Halbe” (Double Six Half), meaning that the engine came from the former V12 but cut in half. So it was an inline-six under the car’s hood, but the bodywork was still fit for a luxurious vehicle. It wasn’t just large but also luxurious. Maybach built about 50 units of this W6 DSH and offered them either as finished products or as rolling chassis.

At the time of its launch, the Typ W6 was one of the longest on the market. Its headlights were mounted on a curved cross-beam supported by oversized, curved front fenders. The radiator was surrounded by a chromed trim, matching the supporting bar and the bumper. Since Maybach used to be an aviation company, its engineers knew a thing or two about aerodynamics, and they tilted the windshield to decrease the drag coefficient. Even though it was a closed-bodywork construction, the automaker offered an option for a retractable canvas top.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed an inline-six engine. It was not exactly half of the 7 or 8-liter V12 since it provided a 5.2-liter displacement. Moreover, it offered more than half the power of a Maybach V12, and since it was paired with a four-speed sequential gearbox, it got similar performances as the Typ 12.