Daimler’s plans for the Maybach brand are constantly shifting. But looking at this classic roadster, we hope the German automaker at least considers making a Maybach convertible again.
What you’re looking at is a 1938 Maybach SW38 Roadster with custom coachwork by Spohn Karrosserie. Prior to the outbreak of World War 2, the SW38 was a contemporary of the iconic Mercedes-Benz 540K and Horch 853A (made by one of Audi’s progenitors). But where those models packed eight-cylinder engines displacing upwards of 5.0 liters, the Maybach had a 3.8-liter inline-six – yet made more power: 140 hp compared to the Horch’s 120 or the Benz’s 115 (at least without the supercharger engaged).
It also incorporated a rather unusual transmission with four speeds actuated via the steering wheel and a floor-mounted shifter to engage low, high and reverse gears with a tractor-like multiplier effect to give it eight forward speeds and four in reverse.
Spohn did much of the coachwork for Maybachs at the time, but this particular example received a special treatment. Its rear seats were jettisoned and, instead of a stacked roof like its contemporaries, it featured a flush cowling to give it a more streamlined profile when stowed.
Chassis number 2055 is believed to have been brought Stateside by an American army officer after the war, shifting owners numerous times over the decades since. Now it’s consigned to RM Sotheby’s, which is slated to auction it off in Monterey on August 19. Pre-sale estimates value the Maybach roadster between $1.25 and 1.6 million.
With Daimler having already switched strategies to remake Maybach as a sub-brand, plans are reportedly afoot to remake more models to join the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in an expanding lineup. Here’s hoping that an even more luxurious S-Class Convertible or SL roadster might be in the cards to revive the spirit of this teutonically Art Deco droptop, and take on the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, in the near future.
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