Maybach SW 38 (1936)Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maybach SW 38

1936 — Germany

Pre-War (before 1946)German
Engine3,791 cc
DrivetrainRWD

Maybach SW 38

Introduced in 1936, the Maybach SW 38 (Spezial Wagen, 3.8 liter) was designed for wealthy industrialists and government officials seeking ultimate luxury. The car featured a sophisticated 3.8-liter inline-six engine with overhead valves producing 140 hp, paired with a Maybach-designed gearbox offering six forward speeds. Chassis were delivered to prestigious coachbuilders like Spohn, Erdmann & Rossi, and Hermann Graber who created bespoke bodies to customer specifications. Only about 450 SW 38s were built before war production halted civilian manufacturing, making survivors extremely rare and valuable today.