Back in the late 90s, each of the major German automakers came to the same conclusion: namely, that their existing luxury automobiles just weren’t luxurious enough. So rather than create larger, more exclusive models to top their existing fleets as their new flagships, each of these industrial giants sought to revitalize old, established luxury marques.

In a highly convoluted arrangement, Volkswagen ended up with Bentley and BMW acquired Rolls-Royce. Not to be left holding its proverbial hat, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler reached back into German automotive history to bring back the Maybach brand. The obscure German name, however, wasn’t all that separated Maybach from its rivals.