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The reason this Maybach bears the Zeppelin name is because the company that produced the immense airships by that name made the massive V-12 engine. A special truck chassis had to be engineered to carry the 1000+ pound behemoth engine! Like other cars of its ilk, the 1939 Maybach Zeppelin was big, expensive and thoroughly unique.
FM has re-released this fine example of '30s excess as a Pebble Beach LE in maroon and black (the original was silver and black). Though it is older technology, this image is still beautiful to behold, especially in the new colors, which I prefer to the original. Aside from the accessories, which include a picnic blanket, hamper, champagne bottle and two flutes, don't expect the usual plethora of bonus features. This one's to put on the shelf and admire for its classic lines, gleaming paint, glinting chrome and sheer beauty. Since this image has been getting high prices on the after-market auctions due to its being out of circulation for years, collector demand for the LE is bound to be high - and rightly so.
I agree with those who say the Twenties and Thirties were the Golden Age of automotive design. In 1939, the Maybach Zeppelin was poised on the cusp of a new era - an era that would eclipse the Golden Age into memory and nostalgia, along with the impressive but fragile airships that once graced its skies. The issue price is $135 + S&H. Since the car is a limited edition (individually numbered) the
priorities will be as follows: PB orders first, AAF orders second, Gallery orders third, postcard orders last. There will be 1000 fewer cars issued this year than last, so the odds of selling out quickly are great.)
(05/30/2001)
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