1938 Maybach Zeppelin DS8 Sport-Cabriolet Photos, engines & full specs

The German automaker tried to revive its luxury car production when it introduced the V12-powered Zeppelin in 1938, which was available with various bodyworks, including a two-seat open-top vehicle.

Maybach trusted the Spohn company to create the bodyworks for about 80% of the vehicles produced by the German automaker. Thus, the Sport-Cabriolet version, which was based on the short-wheelbase version of the DS8, left the factory only as a rolling chassis and was finished by the exclusive German coachbuilder.

Spohn understood the importance of aerodynamics and tried to create vehicles that could travel faster than most other cars on the market. That's why when it penned the Sport-Cabriolet bodywork, it made long, curved fenders with small wheel arches. Thus, there a smaller air quantity was trapped inside the wheel wells. In addition, the pinned-out radiator that was surrounded by a thick chromed rim offered a luxurious image of the vehicle. Spohn installed a short and tilted, two-piece windshield for the cabin. At the back, the sloped-down bodywork covered the trunk.

Inside the car, the dashboard was covered in wood. The six analog dials on the panel were in silver circles. The big, four-spoke steering wheel hosted the air-fuel mixture ratio adjustment lever. Occupants were pampered by the large seats of the vehicle.

The DS8's underpinnings were based on a lightweight chassis that supported the entire construction. Under the hood, the eight-liter V12 powerplant was paired to a Maybach-specific eight-speed sequential gearbox. In fact, it was a 4-speed transmission with a sliding gearbox and a separate overdrive, which provided a total of eight forward speeds forward and vacuum-assisted shifting. The DS8 also featured a novel servo-assisted pneumatic brake developed by Bosch-Dewandre.