1932 MAYBACH Typ Zeppelin Doppel-Sechs 8 Liter (DS 8) Stromlinien 8.0 V12

Vehicle Overview

The Maybach engines were used in the Zeppelin dirigible. On those times, it was the most luxurious way of travel in the world. That is why the top of the range of Maybach cars wore the name Zeppelin.

Maybach produced more chassis than bodyworks. Most of the bodyworks were made by the Spohn builder. Its workshop was close to the Maybach factory from Friedrichshafen in Germany. It was a common practice on those times to have a custom-built bodywork.

The Stromlinien (Streamline) was an aerodynamically enhanced bodywork, shaped with some help of aviation engineers. On the front, the grille was pushed behind the front fenders and raked. The curves on the bodywork were like a flow, thus reducing the drag coefficient. The short greenhouse of the Maybach Zepellin Stromlinien was mandatory for a more streamlined bodywork since on those times the windshield was flat. The curved glass was not available. In the back, the abrupt slope was curved. On the left and right side of the back panel, there were two trunk spaces. The spare wheels were located behind locked panels to the rear of the front wheels. The car featured a central locking mechanism and the door handles were recessed into the door panels. Another interesting feature was the retractable front part of the roof.

Under the long hood, there was an 8-liter V12 engine that produced 200 hp. It was mated to a 5-speed gearbox with a system that allowed the engagement of the fifth gear without using the clutch.