Contrary to Mercedes, Maybach has never been playing an eminent role in motor sports. Thanks to the commitment of a few private investors, however, the Maybach name became a term in the 1920s in a very special category of automobile sports, that is short-distancerecord races. For this purpose gigantic Maybach- Zeppelin-engines were installed in chassis of passenger cars and equipped with huge transmissions.

The specimen on exhibit is a typical representative of this kind of cars. The 6-cylinder-engine has a displacement of 23 liters and generates 300 hp. A comparable Zeppelin engine is depicted in the bottom picture. The hood of seemingly endless length prevents the car‘s front from lifting off on acceleration. The special racing car thus can definitely be regarded as a predecessor of today‘s dragsters. The maximum speed of this extraordinary vehicle is about 160 km/h which are accomplished by the engine at a mere 1,050 rpm.