1931 MAYBACH Typ Zeppelin Doppel-Sechs 8 Liter (DS 8) 8.0 V12 Lang

Vehicle Overview

Maybach produced the Zeppelin to be the most luxurious car in the world, but it couldn’t find enough customers for it, and that resulted in meager sales.

Maybach was banned from producing engines for the aircraft industry after WWI, and the company turned its eyes toward the automotive industry, where it managed to build real masterpieces such as the Zeppelin Doppel-Sechs DS8. The name states that the car featured a double-six, eight-liter engine.

In 1931, Maybach introduced the Zeppelin Doppel-Sechs DS as an upper-range for the DS7. In those times, most luxury-car manufacturers supplied the vehicles as bare-chassis, and the customers could choose a coachbuilder to complete the vehicle. But Maybach offered the cars as completed vehicles, and the DS8 was a very large car by any standards. It weighed more than a regular driver’s license allowed. At the front, it featured the big, baroque-style fenders with an arched bar between them to support the big round headlights. A vertical, pinned-out radiator was specific for the brand. Since the car featured a V-12 engine, the carmaker installed a tall and long engine compartment with six flaps on each side, which the driver could open or close to speed up the engine heating time or to keep it at an optimal temperature. The small, vertical windshield sported a pair of wipers mounted on its upper side.

Inside, Maybach installed a luxurious interior with leather upholstery, wood veneers, and chromed metallic parts for the switches and gauges. The carmaker produced a central locking system in an era where even the cranked windows were a luxury feature. Since Maybach offered the car for high-ranking officials, kings, and country rulers, it made it with a short or a long wheelbase.

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 fifth gear’s engagement without using the clutch.