Wilhelm Maybach (9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) is an early German engine designer and industrialist.
During the 1890s, he is hailed in France, at this time the world center for car production, as the "King of constructors".
From the late 19th century, Wilhelm Maybach, together with Gottlieb Daimler, develops light, high-speed internal combustion engines suitable for land, water, and air use.
These are fitted to the world's first motorcycle, motorboat, and after Daimler's death, to a new automobile introduced in late 1902, the Mercedes model, built to the specifications of Emil Jellinek.
Maybach rises to become technical director of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, or DMG, (and never known by the English name of the quite separate English business, The Daimler Motor Company) but he does not get on well with its chairmen.
As a result, Maybach lefaves DMG in 1907 to found Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH together with his son Karl in 1909; they manufacture Zeppelin engines.
After the signing of the Versailles Treaty in 1919, the company starts producing large luxury vehicles, branded as "Maybach".
The company joins the German war effort in 1940, ceasing automotive production in favor of tank engines, including those for Tiger (Panzer) tanks.
In 1998, Daimler-Benz merges with Chrysler Corporation to become DaimlerChrysler.
The new company revives the Maybach brand name as a luxury make in 2002.
On November 25, 2011, Daimler-Benz announces they will cease producing automobiles under the Maybach brand name in 2013.
