Who was Maybach?

Who was Maybach?

The Maybach automobile is named for Wilhelm Maybach, an engineer who was instrumental in developing the cars that became Daimler-Benz.

On Dec. 24, 1897, the tubular radiator with enclosed water circuit, developed by Wilhelm Maybach, was registered as patented design 104718 in Germany.

With his ingenious invention, Maybach introduced a principle of engine cooling in automotive design that’s still being used today. His design was based on a water container facing the slipstream and perforated by countless small brass tubes that were open on both sides. The slipstream flowed through the tubes, thereby cooling the engine coolant around them. A fan behind the radiator added to the airflow and ensured constant cooling even of the stationary car. This design replaced the previous evaporation cooling and, compared to the previous design, increased the size of the cooling surface many times over, while the space required remained the same. This cleared the path to higher engine output ratings, which had been about four horsepower from engines with flywheel cooling.

The new radiator was used by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft for the first time in the Phoenix car– the first Daimler model with front-mounted engine. The four-cylinder variant of the Phoenix was the world’s first road-going car with a four-cylinder engine in 1898.

The Calabasas Motorcars Maybach showroom opens soon.

–Michael Binstock