We guys don't have as much money as you guys states-side, but it's just been reported UK 2003 sales for the Maybach were.... 7 cars. A spokesman was said to have commented sniffily: "There's a difference between unpopularity and exclusivity, and we're the latter".

Of course.

It's a runt. Better buy a loaded S600 and a Ferrari 360 for the weekends.

Honestly I don't think it's necessarily a question of money as much as its that the car in my opinion isn't as good looking as a rolls royce or bentley, which im sure they sell quite well in the UK. Even the new rolls royce phantom, (which I originally thought was pretty ugly) actually looks better than a maybach when you see it on the road.

The Maybach is actually outselling the new Roller 2 to 1.

The real reason with the poor sales probably has more to do with British pride than anything else.

Regardless of what people say the RR is just too flashy for most people especially with the image that people want to portray with this car. Understated wealth. The Phantom is just a rolling 'bling bling' machine. ie the choice of celebs.

The Maybach 57 is the greatest saloon car ever produced.
"Mere mortals" can have their S-classes and Ferrari's.


God willing, I have the money some day, a Maybach 57 and an SLR are the best choices for any Mercedes enthusiast.

Our British "pride" has mostly disappeared. Bentley is owned by Volkswagen, RR and Mini by BMW, Jaguar and Aston Martin by Ford, Lotus by a Korean company, and so it goes on. So if you compare RR with Bentley with Maybach, you're mostly comparing German cars; sure there may be a bit of English craftsmanship around the RR, but otherwise it's German.

The Germans still like to make things and have a great manufacturing infra-structure to allow them to do it. Here, we mostly flip hamburgers and (mis-)sell life insurance to make a living. Oh, and kid people visiting Stratford-upon-Avon to see the birth place of Shakespeare that the UK is caught in a time warp and they're having a great time.

Sorry, must be cynical this morning.

Yes, and all our wives dress like Mary Poppins and we drink tea after a game of cricket before finally settling on Fish and chips for dinner.



Croquet anyone?

WAIT...so NONE of that is true about England??

Well, Maybach sales in 2003 were 600 cars, Rolls-Royce Phantoms - 450 cars.
So you can't talk about double beat.

They're both pretty ugly cars but the RR certainly has street presence in a "in-your-face-get-outa-my-way" sort of way and it has the quirkiness - the rear doors, the interior - to appeal to people who can afford one. Saw a silver one in London yesterday, certainly no mistaking it.

The Maybach looks to me to be more of a car to be chauffered around in, where the RR is more likely to appeal to someone who likes to drive. The real issue with both is: who on Earth is going to be interested in buying one secondhand? Depreciation is going to be viscious but I guess if you are in that league, it's small change.

But the ugliness of both really poses the question - where are all the beautiful cars? Difficult to imagine anything current from MB being seen as a design icon of this decade in years to come, SLR included. Ferrari continues to churn out decidedly un-beautiful cars, just take a look at the 612 Scaglietti.

Where are the new Daytonas, Muiras, McLaren F1's or Gull-wing SLs? Much as I love my SL55, it is not a pretty car when viewed straight from behind, which is the view most other road users get to see, fleetingly.

My mistake.
The 500th Phantom was made in beginning of January, that's why I mistook

Well, I like my UK built (German inards) 2004 Range Rover. Great styling for a "truck"....inside and out.

I've driven the 57 and it's fine for what it is.......just not for me personally. Haven't even seen the RR Phantom in person.....but if making a statement is a persons thing I'd go for the RR.

My Christmas present to myself this year is a British Racing Green exterior/Light Tan leather interior Bentley Continental GT....can't wait!