Maybach Logo PNG
The Maybach logo represents both everyday cars and luxury vehicles. Smiling in a friendly manner with reflective elements, the emblem attracts attention while emphasizing user comfort and convenience. The brand’s cars have everything you need for life behind the wheel.
Wilhelm Maybach was born in Heilbronn in 1846 and grew up in a Reutlingen orphanage. In 1864, he met Gottlieb Daimler, and their partnership shaped the next four decades. In Daimler’s Cannstatt workshop, they developed a high-speed internal combustion engine. In 1885, Maybach tested the world’s first motorcycle with such an engine. In 1890, he became technical director of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft.
In 1901, he created the Mercedes, featuring a low stance, a front-engine layout, and a mechanical gearbox. After Daimler’s death, Maybach lost influence inside DMG and left in 1907. A new start came after the 1908 LZ 4 airship disaster. In 1909, Wilhelm and Karl Maybach founded Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH together with Luftschiffbau Zeppelin. In 1912, it moved to Friedrichshafen and became Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH.
World War I brought demand for Maybach aircraft and airship engines. After the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Karl turned to cars. The experimental Maybach appeared in 1919, followed by the W3 in 1921. In 1929, the Maybach 12 debuted with a 12-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. After Wilhelm’s death that year, Karl continued with the DS7 Zeppelin in 1930 and DS8 in 1931, competing with Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
By 1941, about 1,800 Maybach cars had been built. During World War II, its engines powered Panther, Tiger I, and Tiger II tanks. Daimler-Benz acquired Maybach in 1960. Mercedes-Benz revived it in 2002 with the Maybach 57 and 62, but weak sales led to the brand’s discontinuation in 2012. In 2014, Daimler returned the Mercedes-Maybach name to flagship S-Class, GLS, and SL models.
Meaning and History
The brand bore its creator’s name for a long time, initially called Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH after Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, until 1912. During World War II, she supplied Nazi Germany with engines for military equipment. Some experts still see something fascist in the Maybach logo. Then, the company was bought by the German corporation Daimler-Benz. The new owner used it to produce the W116 and W108 models, and all cars bore the Mercedes-Benz emblem.
An attempt to revive Maybach took place in 1997. However, buyers showed little interest in this brand’s cars, so the leaders abandoned them. They regretted that, in due time, they had spent money on a Maybach and had not made any profit.
What is Maybach?
Maybach is a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, part of Daimler AG. Its early history began in 1909 with the founding of the Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH. The company was later renamed in honor of its owner and founder, Wilhelm Maybach. At first, it produced only engines. In 1919, her first car appeared. In 2013, Maybach was closed, and in 2015 it was revived as a sub-brand of Mercedes.
1909 – 1997
In 1909, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH was founded. However, the double-M logo attributed to her had nothing to do with her. After all, the initial letters of her name formed a completely different abbreviation: LM. Later, in 1914, the organization was renamed Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH. At the same time, the history of the emblem with the monogram “MM” began.
It is generally accepted that the Maybach symbol is associated with fascism because MM resembles a swastika. Dr. Rex Curry shares this opinion. However, from a chronological perspective, a discrepancy arises because the brand emerged long before the rise of Nazism in Germany.
The logo looked more than harmless. It was shaped like a triangular heraldic shield with rounded corners. The inside was orange, and the wide bezel was white. In the center were two gray-green letters, “MM,” of different heights superimposed on one another. At the bottom of the frame was the inscription “MAYBACH.”
1997 – 2013
In 1997, Daimler-Benz Corporation, which owns Maybach, undertook a small redesign to introduce a new vehicle line. Due to low sales, the brand was discontinued in 2013. All this time, it has used a redesigned logo without lettering. The developers retained the shield’s shape but made the frame and letters black, increasing the monogram’s size. All elements now have a white and silver outline.
Font and Colors
Experts say the defunct Maybach brand’s name resembles the Volkswagen emblem. It should be admitted that the Maybach was created much earlier, so it is not known who borrowed the idea and from whom. It is also believed that “MM” looks like a swastika.
The current logo has no lettering, and a bold sans-serif typeface was used previously. Based on the first letters of the Maybach-Motorenbau name, the monogram is hand-drawn and lacks a font.
The classic color scheme contains silver, black, and gold. However, the cars featured an all-silver emblem that symbolized their refinement and luxury.