1939 Maybach SW38 Spohn Sport Roadster
edited by David Barth, 27 December 2008.
Courtesy "The Auto Collections" showroom at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino in Las, Vegas, Nevada, USA. Photos were
taken 18 November 2008.
Some of the information presented below is from "Imperial Palace Auto Collection" by Ralph Engelstad, owner of the
hotel/casino and the automobiles until his death in 2002.
Chassis number: 2146
This car was owned by the same family since the 1950's. It underwent a complete restoration to original specifications from 1993 to 1997 by Dave Harp Vintage Restorations in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It won first prize when first shown at Pebble Beach in 1997. The car also won Best of Show at the Santa Barbara Concours d'Elegance in 1999.
At the time these photos were taken, the showroom was accepting bids.
History:
The ranking of German luxury automobiles in pre-WWII is Mayback at the top, Mercedes Benz second, and Horch third. The Maybach was "overengineered." The Maybach company was started by Wilhelm Maybach in 1921 in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
The original transmission had two forward gears. In 1929 Maybach reengineered the transmission to have three speeds with an overdrive which could be activated in any gear, including reverse, resulting in six forward speeds and two reverse. This system was called "Schnellgang," (Quick-Shift). Further developments brought the "Doppelschnellgang," or "Double-Quick-Shift," which offered eight forward speeds and eight reverse.
Maybach supplied engines to Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin's dirigibles. The largest Zeppelins were propelled by five 550 hp Maybach V-12 engines. Zeppelin engines were the foundation for the automotive V-12s, and cars with that engine were named "Zeppelin." Other models featured a straight-six engine. The price of a chassis-only with the V-12 was $8,000, and the cost for one with the inline six cylinder engine was $4,000.
Characteristics of W6 engine:
- Engine: W6 (straight-six)
- Displacement: 7.0 liters (427 cubic inches)
- Bore: 94mm
- Stroke: 168mm
- Power: 120 hp at 2,200 rpm
The W6 engine was offered between 1930 and 1937. Maybach production ran from 1921 to 1941, and approximately 2,300 cars were built.
The following photos were taken 5 November, 2007. At the time these photos were taken, the price was $3,000,000.
