Anyone test driven a MAYBACH?

Certainly one of the ugliest vehicles I have ever seen... Including the Pacer.

Marty

I think it looks nice. Big and substantial. Like it is safe to drive around in it. Not sure where the closest dealer is, but I am not going to buy one - they are just too high priced!

mcbrue impoverishedly under the bridge in the trailer down by the river

If anyone can afford it, it is you McBrue. I know you can certainly afford the repair bills.

Simply because it's built in Germany and not England. Ever owned a British-made car? Now we're talking serious wallet fatigue from repairs!

What about 'British' cars like Ford, modern Bentley...?...

DAS

Ok, we all know the horror stories from the past - but today?

Today quality is something which can be produced (or NOT) everywhere so I do not see any reason a British-built car _must_ be inferior to a - say - German built car.

Juergen

My 1968 Rover TC2000 was a lovely car that ran like a top, once I swapped out the generator for a GM alternator.

Bernard

Let me guess, it was a Lucas.

Old joke, Why do the British drink warm beer?

Lucas refrigerators.

Speaking of which, I was looking at a C36 the other day, and what did I see? A Lucas vacuum booster behind the master cylinder! Did AMG actually use a Lucas part? I didn't know that Lucas made any working parts. At least it seemed that way when I would help out friends with their Triumph's years ago.

That's it _years ago_ - years ago the built quality of Mercedes also was better, so the point is that time ARE changing and what was valid years ago not necessarily is true anymore.

A good example in the automotive world is Czech Skoda, an assortment of more-than-lousy cars before Volkswagen bought them - today they have a really good quality standard.

Juergen

Don't panic, Rolls and Bentleys are made in Germany these days (as far as I can see they're built up third world style from German CKD kits)...

"the guvnor" haute in die Tasten:

No. Both are manufactured in the UK. There may be quite a share of parts made in Germany, which are asembled with those cars, i.e. the engine and the gearbox, but in the early days Rolls also got their gearboxes (Borg Warner, GM, maybe ZF) and other components delivered by a 3rd party source. The old Rolls Royce V8 engine was a modified GM design, and the complete sheetmetal work for the bodies was made by another contractor. I assume that the share of aquired parts and contractor work did not increase after VW and BMW bought the companies and the name copyright. However, I assume that most of the r&d work for Rolls and Bentley is done in Munich or Wolfsburg by now. The new Rolls Royce was entirely developed in Munich, you could even see Rolls prototypes running around in the munich city traffic, with Munich licenseplates on them. In order to look, feel and smell british, both companies have their interior and exterior design department in the UK.

Frank

Both the Rolls and the Bentley have bodyshells manufactured and assembled (and in the case of the Bentley painted) in Germany, and both use German made running gear, so other that the fact they are bolted together in England fron kits of imported parts, what makes them British??

with those cars, i.e. the engine and

Exactly, designed, developed and tested in Germany, and built from kits of German made parts (like Ikea furniture)

What's English about them other than the former owners of the respective brands?

"the guvnor" haute in die Tasten:

The snail mail adresses of the manufacturers. The looks. The marketing. If this is not enough for you, go buy a Morgan - and ignore the fact that it has got a BMW engine;-)

BTW: What's Maybach about the new Maybach? If you want to see a real Maybach, visit the extraordinary Zeppelin museum in Friedrichshafen at the lake Bodensee. Okay, the Maybach Zeppelin - which they have on display there - and the current Maybach 62 share one thing. They are both quite big and butt ugly.

Frank

BTW, Bodensee = Lake Constance...

Frank, I can see the insidious influence this newsgroup has on your English...full of Americanism...tut tut... :-)

("Butt ugly" is but one example, but don't worry, we in Britain do understand them...and you...)

Dori

The Aero 8 thing is as ugly as the Maybach.

At least TVRs have a British engine, (even if they are owned by a Russian now)...

The badge?

At least it's built in Germany though.

in Friedrichshafen at the

The new one has lots of things to play with...

Who cares about ugly? I'll take that comfort and let the peasants burn with envy.

"The earnest one" haute in die Tasten:

We've had this topic here several times, and I am not one of those who are envious about people who can buy themselves a Maybach. But IMHO one could have put the technology and the luxury in a stretched S-class instead of this bulky car. I had the opportunity to have a sit in a Maybach 62, and I was not amazed. If I would need a big limo (and money is not an issue), I definitely would buy something different.

Frank

I think I would prefer to buy a top long-wheelbase S and the top SL and put a sticker on the back of the S "My other car is an SL 500 and still got change out of the Maybach price"...

Similar sticker for back of S-Class :-)

DAS