Famous designers Wilhelm Maybach and Karl Maybach founded the Maybach Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH company in 1909. In 1919, it presented its first prototype vehicle – the W1. In the years 1921-41, approximately 2000 luxury Maybach cars, from the W3 to the SW42, were manufactured. In 1960, the Maybach was taken over by the Daimler-Benz concern (since 1998 – the DaimlerChrysler). At the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, a prototype of a new Maybach was presented. At the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the series 62 limousine debuted, at the 2002 Paris Motor Show – the 57 limousine, and at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show – the 57S version.