Maybach SW38 / SW42 History

Introduced in 1935, the SW-series (Stromlinien-Wagen, 'streamlined car') gave Maybach a somewhat smaller and more aerodynamic body than the Zeppelin, powered by inline-six engines. The SW35 used a 3.5-litre unit; the SW38 (1936–1939) grew to 3.8 litres with 140 hp; the SW42 (1939–1941) displaced 4.2 litres at the same rated output.

The SW38's styling drew on streamlining fashions of the era and was later referenced — decades later — as the design inspiration for the one-off 2005 Maybach Exelero concept commissioned by Fulda. SW-series cars were bodied by Spohn of Ravensburg and other coachbuilders; production was modest, as with all pre-war Maybachs.

The SW42 was the last pre-war Maybach model; automobile production ceased with World War II and was never resumed by the original company. Karl Maybach died in 1960; the factory shifted entirely to industrial engines.