It is tempting. Purchasing a vehicle that was at one point in time considered to be the best in its class could become an unforgettable experience. But, as this YouTuber proves, more often than not, it could turn into a very expensive adventure.
Tyler Hoover runs the Hoovies Garage YouTube channel. He uses the platform to share his love of cars with other gearheads. But instead of buying everything new and flashy, the YouTuber tries to constantly improve his collection of classic or vintage cars by adding models that have either been forgotten or do not receive the same amount of attention as other oldies.
One of his latest purchases is a 2004 Maybach 62 – the V12-powered luxury sedan that did not enjoy the same level of success as its Rolls-Royce competitor. Originally, it had a price of over $500,000. In today’s money, that would amount to a little over $788,800. However, he got it for $44,000 with auction fees included. The 18-year-old vehicle looks incredibly good for its age, but as you may have guessed, it hides a couple of issues.
Maybach mostly appeared as a response to BMW’s and Volkswagen’s market moves. While these two German brands acquired two big British marques – Rolls-Royce and Bentley – Mercedes-Benz was left to offer only the S Class as its most luxurious car. That did not sit well with them. So, instead of spending a lot of money on something like Aston Martin Lagonda, the Stuttgart-based automaker looked to its past and found Maybach as the answer for Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Even though Maybach was a brand that existed decades earlier and dealt with high-end cars, at the beginning of the third millennium, it did not have the same brand significance as Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz pushed forward. The Maybach 57 and the Maybach 62 were the results of that effort. Unfortunately, they flopped. People simply did not want to buy a very expensive “repackaged S Class” despite the fact that the Maybach units did not share much with the best of Mercedes-Benz from almost two decades ago.
And on top of not being wanted by many people, the Maybach 62 also heavily depreciated, and now it requires a lot of expensive fixes. Experienced buyers might not be surprised about this fact, but the amount of work that needs to be put into a car that looks to work fine is unexpected. But vehicles that are supposed to represent the pinnacle of engineering require top-notch after-sale services. Hoover is extremely lucky as his new luxury sedan still has most of its features running as intended. Even the solar roof and the electrochromic glass behave normally. However, not everything is perfect.
Now watch what the mechanic told the Maybach owner. Seasoned Mercedes-Benz buyers might recognize a couple of the issues mentioned here.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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