MAYBACH Typ Zeppelin Doppel-Sechs 8 Liter (DS 8) Stromlinien-Cabriolet 1934-1936 Photos, engines & full specs

Maybach installed the V12 engines in the famous Zeppelin airships and it used the same powerplants to create engineering monuments on the road. And then, he asked Spohn to build the rest.

The Zeppelin name was used only for the most exclusive cars built by Maybach. In 1930, the German company unveiled at the Paris Automobile Salon the DS8. The exclusive (and highly expensive) Maybach limousine was ordered by kings, emperors, and very rich people. Soon, a convertible model was offered. But, as usual for those times, the bodywork was signed by Spohn coachbuilder. Spohn equipped around 80% of the Maybach chassis.

The large convertible was aerodynamically studied, to offer a smaller drag resistance. Hence the world “stromlinien” (streamlined). Even though the big radiator was like a brick wall in front of the car, the rest was streamlined. The front large fenders were extended in the back to the bottom of the rear fenders. The rear-hinged doors were cut so it allowed the extended fender to pass-through. The trunk was sloped and, when closed, it formed an aerodynamic shape.

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 featured the air-fuel mixture ratio on a small lever. Even though the car featured four very large seats, the bench was mostly used for the luggage.

The lightweight chassis and the V12 engine were just part of the marvelous engineering surprise. The 8-speed gearbox was something different. In fact, it was a 4-speed gearbox with sliding-gearbox with 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 brakes, developed by Bosch-Dewandre.