At a time when Rolls-Royce and Bentley are both making record sales, Stuttgart’s luxury-limo brand Maybach seems to be sharing in none of the glory. According to executives at Mercedes-Benz it doesn’t cost much to keep Maybach on the market, but its a very different story when you head down the corporate ladder to over seventy American dealers who spent more than $500,000 in creating unique studios to showcase the car.

Initially expecting to sell over 500 cars a year in the U.S. alone, Maybach has come nowhere close to that figure with less than 800 cars being sold altogether so far. This despite the recent addition of two new models, the 57 S and 62 S (the ‘S’ standing for ’special’).

Rumours suggest that parent brand Mercedes-Benz may absorb the Maybach brand and implement it into its own lineup as a range topper. However management currently seems to be keeping quiet about the whole situation, according to a report by Automotive News. Only time will tell whether the revived brand name will continue to live on, or is put to rest once again.

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Mixed feelings about that idea...
Maybach is now established and recognized as an ultra-luxurious brand, and imo less "bling-bling" than the actual Rolls, and more modern than the old-fashioned Bentley. (the froggy-Bentley are much less expensive, not the same battle).

For me, all Maybach needs is a (big) face-lift to give them sex-appeal, a beautiful coupe and/or convertible to get rid of that image of bad-looking limo. For instance a 4-door convertible...

But Merc has image enough to battle Rolls, they had such models in the past, so why not if they face-lift these Maybach and give them the Benz name?

The 4-door convertible is a typical Benz-model for me. Was presented under the Mercedes brand. I think it means that Maybach as a brand is dead, otherwise it would have been the Maybach Ocean Drive. And they can't sell it as a Maybach when the showcar was a Mercedes.

Maybe are they doing that to give a boost to Mercedes' image, more than because Maybach is selling badly (does not cost more to sell it as Merc or as Maybach).

Pity for the Maybach name, and the image it has established.

But maybe am wrong: it is said that a convertible and a smaller Maybach is under development. I howevwer know that Benz develops a kind of CLS that would be more expensive and bigger thant the S-Class... All these facts seems to say that Mercedes will stop Maybach as brand and sell the models as Mercedes-Benz... Maybe "MB Maybach", but "Mercedes-Bens Maybach 62" is a quite long name...

Wait and see... But they have to move, something must be done. For me a face-lift of the current models, and a coupe...

I think whats really killing Maybach, is that most ppl have realised that the Maybach is simply a glorified S Class. They Need a new model and it has to be built freshly from the ground up.

I still think they can redeem themselves by putting the Exelero on the production line. Wait and see what happens.

I agree that the Maybach has been positioned as an ultra-luxurious brand but I'd hesitate to say that it's established as one.

Yes, they have sold 800 cars so far (I think roughly half in the first year) but I think it has failed to resonate with its target market. Mercedes tried to bring back an old German name and didn't bring any of the heritage back with in. Rolls and Bentley continue to do well because they have stayed true to their heritage.

If you're spending that kind of money, you want something special, not just a dressed up S-Class.

Two proposals:

a) rename Maybach to Mercedes-Maybach , and make it top-end Mercedes models

b) completely redesign Maybach cars - with absolutely no resemblance to MB design

Number two for me please

Bingo!

Mercedes Maybach for me please..thats the best idea imo..
i dont want anything new that i cant stand for under the MB umbrella

I can't say I agree with this coolraoul. Although the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a lot less expensive than the Maybach, it offers similar performance and levels of luxury.

I know somebody who was seriously considering buying a Maybach but decided the Bentley was in many ways the smarter option -- I think many people would feel the same.

I think the biggest problem for Maybach is not Rolls-Royce and Bentley .....but rather, the Mercedes S class. The S class is the smartest choice of the whole bunch.

Correct Rob.

This is the same (now old) dilema for Maybach. If they aren't going to do a totally new and different car for Maybach then kill it off and enjoy Mercedes' new resurgence. The Ocean Drive tells me they're going to drop Maybach sooner or later, but then again Germans are stubborn. Now that Mercedes is making money again, I'm willing to bet that they're pretty far along with something totally new for Maybach so on the other hand I don't think its over with yet. They'll give it one more try.

M