This Maybach is a quarter of a century old. It is old enough to become a classic, but does it have what it takes to actually be considered one? The dealer trying to sell it for a fortune seems to think so.
Mercedes attempted to resurrect the band in 2002, when it rolled out the Maybach 57 and 62 as derivations of the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car, unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997. The figures in the names were a reference to their respective lengths, with the 57 designed as a driver’s car and the 62 conceived for those who preferred to be chauffeured around.
Both variants were equipped with satellite navigation, screens in the front seats’ backrests, DVD entertainment for the passengers in the rear, as well as front and rear seats with massage functions.
A telescopic/power tilt heated wood steering wheel with sections wrapped in leather, voice control, leather seats, heated cupholders, and pneumatic soft close doors were passwords for the luxury segment, where Rolls-Royce was making the rules.
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A 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V12, specifically developed for the new Maybachs, operated under the hood of the two. It generated 542 horsepower (550 metric horsepower) and 664 pound-feet (900 Newton meters) of torque. It was a 5.1-second run from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) for the Maybach 57, while the 62 and the 57 S needed 4.8 seconds for the same run.
The Maybach 62 S, like the car we have here, was a whole different story. It took 4.5 seconds to get from a standstill to 60 mph, and you had the 604 horsepower (612 metric horsepower) to blame for it.
The Maybachs had the features of Rolls-Royces and also came for Rolls-Royce money. Introduced at the Auto China 2006 in Beijing, the 62 S, with the S standing for Spezial (German for “Special”), started at $492,602.
Options took it well over half a million dollars. For instance, the panoramic sunroof was a $11,670 affair, while the electrotransparent partition, separating the driver’s area from the rear compartment, would add almost $24,000 to the final price.
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On June 26, 2002, a Maybach 62 enclosed in a glass case started off from Southampton, England, to New York City, on the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship. It reached its destination on July 2, receiving a breathtaking welcome.
A helicopter lifted it off the liner and onto the dock before it was driven to the Regent Hotel Wall Street. Mercedes knew how to promote its cars. But little did they know that it might have been the right car at the wrong time.
The financial crisis hit in 2008 and it was a major blue for the entire auto industry. Due to poor sales and high production costs, Mercedes had to kill the Maybach slowly but surely. On November 25, 2011, Daimler announced that the production would stop in 2013.
However, Mercedes was in a hurry to fill the financial void, and the last Maybach rolled off the production line in Sindelfingen, Germany, on December 17, 2012. In January 2013, when the production line was dismantled, there was a special 62 S Landaulet model being produced.
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Only 3,321 Maybachs had been sold during the model’s 11-year production run. Nothing to write home about, just like this Maybach 62 S that a dealership in Costa Mesa, California, has been trying to sell for $288,888 on eBay.
The 2024 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Sedan starts at $198,300. The money brings a car powered by a 4.0-liter, eight-cylinder, twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system. It sports 496 horsepower (503 metric horsepower) and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton meters) of torque for a run from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. Top speed is 155 mph (250 kph).
That engine has to pull 4,991 pounds (2,264 kilograms) spread over a car that is 219.2 inches (5,469 millimeters) long, 83.0 inches (2,109 millimeters) wide, and 59.4 inches (1,510 millimeters) tall, sporting a wheelbase of 133.7 inches (3,396 millimeters).
The car is equipped with innovative safety, comfort, and tech features. Everything you can imagine is already on board. And all that for under $200,000, while the Rolls-Royce Ghost starts at $340,500.
So, why would anybody go for a car that is 25 years old, which costs as much as a new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and a half? Apparently, nobody did because the 62 S remained unsold. The dealer listed it again for the same price and will have to wait another six days to see if it can finally find an owner. If ever.
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