Several reasons are put forward for Maybach’s failure, including basing it on an old ’90s S-Class platform and the fact that it was manufactured alongside the S-Class and not in a dedicated factory such as its Bentley and Rolls-Royce rivals, which diluted the brand’s exclusivity. Some suggested it looked too much like an S-Class and used too many obvious Mercedes parts-bin pieces, and that it created the impression that it was a cynical committee-commissioned car and a way to ask a lot of money for a Mercedes, instead of a dedicated luxury brand. Maybach is still with us today, but as a top-end luxury trim for Mercedes, called Mercedes-Maybach, so you can still buy a new Maybach, but it will have a Mercedes emblem on the hood.