For Chinese," "century-old brand" means constant high quality and excellent skills passed down from generation to generation. Whether it is a holiday gift or a banquet for guests, or to choose the right object for yourself, the meaning of "old brand" is always difficult to measure by price, especially those century-old brands that have been baptized by time and can still stand today make this friendship more precious.
In 2021, it has been exactly 100 years since the release of the W3, the first production car of the Maybach brand. And today's Mercedes-Maybach is also like the "ship of Theseus" has long been renewed, the Maybach brand we see today, or the "Maybach" of that year? The answer lies in today's story.
Times do not bury genius, and Maybach's story begins with the acquaintance of its founders, Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler.
Where there is luxury and beauty, there will be a story to pass on
It is well known that Mercedes-Benz founder Carl Benz is the inventor of the car, but do you know who the inventor of the motorcycle is? That's right, two other pioneers of Mercedes–Gottlieb Daimler and William Maybach.
In 1865, at the age of 19, Wilhelm Maybach caught the attention of Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of Daimler Automobile Company, with his genius for design, and his common love for machinery brought the pair together.
In 1885, the high-speed four-stroke engine created by the duo was introduced, which was also known as the "Old Master Bell" engine.
In the same year, they installed the "old clock" on a wooden two-wheeled bicycle, and the world's first motorcycle was born.
The "Old Man's Clock" is like a key to a new world of internal combustion engines, and the world's first motorboat, the world's first four-wheeled car, and Wolffart motor airship are also written by William Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler.
The thing is whisked away, and the merit and name are hidden deeply. After leaving Daimler AG, Wilhelm Maybach and his eldest son Carl Maybach founded the Maybach Engine Manufacturing Company.
Subsequently, the father and son took the "young" Maybach brand to the 1921 Berlin Motor Show and launched the first production model, the Maybach W3.
The ultimate luxury and design aesthetics caused a sensation in the industry at that time, and the original intention of "the most beautiful" car construction also ran through every Maybach model in the next hundred years.
Where there is luxury and beauty, it must be the same on the surface
The "Ship of Theseus" is a question posed by the Roman Empire-era philosopher Plutarch: "A ship that can sail the sea for hundreds of years owes itself to the uninterrupted repair and replacement of parts." As soon as a plank decays, it is replaced, and so on, until all the functional parts are not the original ones. ”
The question is, is the ship that ends up still the original Ship of Theseus? This paradox about identity change has plagued generations of philosophers for thousands of years, and no standard answer has emerged.
The voyage of theseus for a hundred years is also accomplished by constantly improving and replacing new components, which is in line with the grand vision of "pursuing perfection and perfectly integrating exquisite craftsmanship with innovative technology" put forward by William Maybach, the founder of the Maybach brand.
As we see maybach today, although there have been several twists and turns, the reborn Mercedes-Maybach has combined the innovative scientific inspiration drawn from Mercedes-Benz with the exquisite craftsmanship of Mercedes-Maybach and obtained a very successful market response.
Even if you can't find the shadow of the W3 for a long time, you can still feel the most beautiful admiration for W3 when you first saw it a hundred years ago.
Where luxury and beauty, the style will last forever
Both Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach have an "inventor" leadership style and are always one step ahead of the curve in design and technological innovation.
Top luxury brands are divided into three worlds, and when the wave of electrification hits, Mercedes-Maybach, just like when the founders launched their first motorcycle, the first four-wheeled car and the first motorboat, took the lead in launching the first electric model - The Mercedes-Maybach EQS concept car.
With its iconic black-and-red body and smooth bodyline, you can find many of the Maybach brand's classic elements at just a glance, and you can be impressed by its sci-fi appearance and find the heritage of Maybach's classic design in it.
The picture of the past and the future intertwined has a deep sense of historical precipitation, which is a higher level than those concept cars with pure futuristic elements.
Looking back at the century-old history of the Maybach legend, it is not difficult to find that inheritance and innovation are not contradictory, and the concept of perfection is inherited, which is the most charming charm of the Maybach brand, and the perfect integration of exquisite craftsmanship and innovative technology gives this top luxury brand the most exuberant vitality.
Today's Maybach is not just a surname or brand, but a symbol of elegance and honor, a symbol of an attitude to life, and a business card with outstanding taste.