The 350 km/h 700 bhp Fulda Maybach Exelero

Under the direction of the aerodynamics specialist, Freiherr Reinhard Koenig Fachsenfeld, the legendary Fulda Maybach streamlined car was developed, with a sensational maximum speed of over 200 kmh.

The well-known German aerodynamic expert thus created a streamlined masterpiece and one of the first automotibiles designed specifically to create an undisturbed airflow at the rear end of the vehicle. The aerodynamic studies conducted on the car were done in a windtunnel using wool threads which were attached to numerous parts of the bodywork so the designers could visualise what was happening at a granular level.

The work was completed on 27 July 1939. The delivery of this unique special vehicle was followed with great interest by the experts and a great resonance in the specialist press. Due to the start of World War II, it was no longer possible to use the Maybach on the planned scale. Within a few months the streamlined car had disappeared as the world plunged into global war – it has never been found.

2005: The return of the Fulda Maybach.

Two thirds of a century after completion of the famous streamlined automobile, the Maybach and Fulda companies stand together in the public limelight. The new vehicle is neither a reprise of the original, nor a retro design from the last century. The astonishing result of the current cooperation: is an unmistakable tribute to the predecessor - and nevertheless a high tech highlight of a very special kind.

With the intention of projecting a piece of history into the future through the modern interpretation of the streamlined car of 1938, a number of creative minds were assembled in the project team for the new Fulda Maybach Concept Car. Commissioned to create a fascinating blend of strength and elegance, the Pforzheim Polytechnic's Design Department and the Design Department of DaimlerChrysler AG set the cooperative relationship which has operated successfully for many years now into motion once again.

A considerable planning effort and meticulous detailed work was the dominant feature of the daily round of the team members during the next few months. In particular, for the four students of the college's Transport Design department, the work on the design of the unique vehicle represented an absolutely unforgettable challenge.

The optimal combination of elegance and high performance was the the aim of the design by Wolf Seebers. In particular, the contours of the radiator grille clearly indicate the inspiration of the characteristic Maybach design. The line from the cockpit to the tail section, in contrast, was designed in two steps which bear a close resemblance to the design style of Formula 1.

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