Maybach Zeppelin

The DS7 (Doppel Sechs 7) version featured a 7.0 L (6,971 cc) V12 engine that produced 150 horsepower at 2,800 rpm.[3] It was available from 1929 to 1930. Work began in 1928 on a model simply called the "Maybach 12" which went on sale in 1929. In 1930 it was re-branded as the DS7 and the "Zeppelin" badge appeared on a bar between the headlamps; although adopted universally as the "Maybach Zeppelin", this was never the car's official model.

Karl Maybach's engine was a long-stroke design, with dimensions of 86×100 mm.[3] The crankshaft had eight main bearings, one being a smaller outrigger at the rear, supporting the camshaft drive gears. In a novel feature for reduced noise, these were made of Novotext, a resin-impregnated fibre composite. A further novel feature was the use of enlarged four-bolt main bearing caps on three of the bearings.

Supplementing the DS7 from 1930 was the DS8[4] (Doppelganger). It sported an 8.0 L (7977 cc, 486 cubic inches) V12 which made 200 bhp (149 kW; 203 PS) at a fairly low 3200 rpm, putting the DS8 among the most powerful production cars in the world at the time. Depending on the weight of the coachwork, a top speed of 106 mph (171 km/h) was possible.[5]

In August 2012, a 1938 DS8 Roadster sold for €1.3 million at auction, fitted with a rare Variorex eight-speed gearbox (both the first 8-speed and first 8-speed manual gearbox) with a vacuum shift and is thought to be one of only 100 built.[6]

When Maybach was revived as a brand by DaimlerChrysler, old Maybachs, particularly the opulent 8-litre Zeppelin, saw new popularity as part of a marketing effort which sought to link the current brand with the heritage of the original car company.[7] This resurrecting of the classic name resulted in increased visibility and popularity of well-restored or preserved Maybachs.[8]