The only Maybach museum in the world. The largest Maybach collection anywhere. It’s impossible to avoid superlatives when you try to describe this wholly privately-run exhibition.

Visitors who make the journey to the town of Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate region not far from Nuremberg are spellbound by the unique exhibits in their impressive setting, surrounded by accessories from the respective eras of the cars on display. There can be no doubt about it: the Museum für historische Maybach-Fahrzeuge (Museum for historical Maybach vehicles) – such is the designation chosen by its founders – produces a deep impression and is without equal in the world of museums.

The collection currently consists of 18 to 20 classic Maybachs, representing around ten percent of all the cars manufactured in the time of glory of this “whispering giant from Lake Constance” that are still in existence today. Only around 1,800 Maybachs were built between 1921 and 1941, and most of the cars in Helmut and Anna Hofmann’s museum date back to this period. Their earliest exhibit is a W 5 built in 1926, while the most recent is a Maybach SW 38 – this automobile was transformed into a unique Cabriolet by Spohn in 1950.

“I bought my first Maybach in 1987,” explains Helmut Hofmann, whose passion for automobiles began with the collection of Mercedes classics. “I unfortunately parted with this SW 38 three years later. However, in due course I was able to find adequate replacement.” Sixteen of the Maybachs on display belong to the Hofmann family. Not every vehicle is in impeccable parade condition: untouched ‘barn finds’ alongside cars whose restoration has yet to be completed await the amazed spectator.

The combination of old factory buildings, breathtaking classic cars and fascinating interior architecture is a most fortunate constellation. Modern elements were skillfully made to blend in with the painstakingly conserved old building substance. The automobile gems are thus presented in an atmosphere that immediately captivates visitors – beginning with the great entrance doors with their “MM” logo, continuing in the impressive interior courtyard with adjoining foyer and leading finally to the exhibition itself, which is rounded off by large- format photographs, many of them backlit. Everything exudes an air of authenticity.

You will find more about this inimitable museum and its fascination in the current issue of the Mercedes-Benz Classic.