1928 MAYBACH Typ W5 SG 27/120 HP (Closed Body) 7.0

Vehicle Overview

By 1928, Maybach vehicles were very known in the luxury car segment, and the customers were concerned about their safety, so the car manufacturer offered them an option: the W5 SG.

The owners of the expensive cars were concerned. Some admired them, some envy them, and others just wanted to steal from them or kidnap them for a ransom. They needed protection, and Maybach didn’t want to make the cars even heavier. The government already required a CDL driving license due to their weight, and adding armor plating was not an option. Maybach approaches the problem differently: it built a designated area for security guards.

The W5 SG featured the same bodywork as the regular W5. At the front, the carmaker installed a sturdy bumper in front of the wheels. It mounted them directly on the chassis. The owners could have chosen an even thicker bumper that could blast through a roadblock. The vehicle’s tall radiator sat in a protected area, above the front axle with a chromed surrounding. Its front fenders were shorter than on other cars from that era. Behind the closed cabin, Maybach installed an additional bench where two security guards could sit and watch above the car’s hood.

The interior was typical for a Maybach. It provided expensive leather seats, wood trims, and a communication tube to ask the driver where to go and when to stop. The guards behind the cabin were exposed entirely, allowing them to jump and fight if needed or sit and shoot from above.

Under the hood, Maybach used the same inline-six engine as on the W5. Its seven-liter displacement received a new carburetor and higher compression ratio, raising the power to 120 hp, which was a lot for those times.