Launched at the 1921 Berlin Motor Show, the model was the most expensive car on the German market. The marque flourished and many classic-car enthusiasts say the pinnacle of Maybach achievement was the 1931 DS 8 'Zeppelin', a 5.5-metre paragon of automotive excellence 'which meets every wish with the most distinguished elegance and power', its brochure said. Up to 1941, when limousine production ceased and the company's expertise was integrated into the German war effort, Maybach produced approximately 1,800 luxury cars, whose bodies, parent company DaimlerChrysler says, 'were designed and equipped precisely to customer requirements by specialist coachbuilders'. Of these classic masterpieces, 135 survive.

On July 2, with DaimlerChrysler reviving the marque after more than 60 years, the Maybach 62 was launched in New York, arriving with due ceremony on board the Queen Elizabeth II liner. Maybach's motto in the 1920s and 30s was 'On land, on sea and in the air', referring to the uses to which its engines were put. In keeping with this, the first new production model left Sindelfingen in Germany by road and was loaded aboard the QE2 in Southampton. Arriving in Manhattan, a helicopter lifted the Maybach off the liner's deck and transported it to a reception on Wall Street.

The unveiling ceremony was hosted by Professor Jurgen Hubbert, the main DaimlerChrysler board director responsible for passenger cars, but also on hand to connect the past with the future was Wilhelm Maybach's grand-daughter, Irmgard Schmid-Maybach, who now lives in San Francisco.

The Maybach 62 is powered by a hand-built 5.5- litre, twin-turbo V12 producing 550bhp (405 kW) and 900 Nm maximum torque. The engine allows the massive machine a degree of performance rarely associated with cars of this stature. In short, it is the height of luxury and surpasses anything else on the market. The '62' in the name refers to the car's length, 6.17 metres. At the Paris Motor Show (September 28 to October 13), there will be a shorter version, the '57', but it will still be larger than anything else available at 5.7 metres.

Although there is performance to spare from the silky smooth V12 - 100km/h is reached from a standstill in a mere 5.4 seconds - it is unlikely it will ever be used in anger. The Maybach is more about comfort, opulence and indulgence. Virtually anything you desire can be built into this car and every aspect of this model is unique. Indeed, it is possible no two will ever be the same. DaimlerChrysler anticipates producing about 1,000 Maybachs a year, of which 400 will go to North America, 250 to Europe and 190 to Southeast Asia.

The list of creature comforts is seemingly endless, with first-class aircraft-cabin reclining seats; a DVD player with separate screens for each rear-seat occupant; a Bose quality audio system with 21 speakers; a refrigerator large enough to accommodate a bottle of the best champagne, individual folding tables, sterling silver champagne goblets with automatic retaining clips which will hold the glass when it is placed on the table; the catalogue goes on. Customers, says DaimlerChrysler, will be involved at all stages of production.

One unusual feature is a button on the permanent in-car telephone which immediately connects the owner with a personal liaison manager, day or night. The manager will arrange service or repairs and can also organise visits to the Maybach centre in Sindelfingen. He or she will even arrange hard-to-obtain theatre or concert tickets - a sort of mobile concierge, all at the press of a button.

Passenger safety was a prime concern at the marque's Sindelfingen factory - the Maybach features crash-responsive backrests to its reclining rear seats. In the event of an accident, the backrests move back to the upright position to ensure the best possible occupant-rebound protection. The rear-seat cushions are also automatically set at a slight angle to prevent submarining by belted passengers. All seats have side airbags and there are full-length, window air curtains.

The sophisticated air suspension, first developed on the Mercedes-Benz S-class, is speed related, lowering the ride height by 15 millimetres over 140km/h. This adjustment has the effect of improving the handling as well as assisting the aerodynamic penetration of the car. Amazingly for such a large beast, the Cd figure is between 0.3 and 0.31; a Rolls-Royce is well over 0.4.

It is almost impossible to criticise the Maybach. If pushed you might say the boot is on the small side for such a large car - and indeed, if the buyer feels the need for a spare wheel instead of the standard tyre inflator, this further reduces the luggage space - but overall this is the pinnacle of automotive excellence. There are so many innovative features within the car, it is hard to list them all: advanced glass technology to reduce noise and heat; a panoramic roof with 30 solar cells to power the ventilation system when the car is parked; the latest LED tail lights and bi-xenon headlamps; individual rear climate-control settings for each seat.

Standalone Maybach centres will be created in Hong Kong, Japan and the United States, and although details of their opening, make-up, location and staffing were unavailable this week, they will enable the revived marque's customers to communicate directly with design and technology experts by video conferencing. Although no prices have been revealed for Hong Kong-bound Maybachs, in the US they will start at about US$300,000 (HK$2.34 million). A Maybach 62 could sell in the SAR for about HK$5.5 million, depending on its favoured options. And sell it will, because the Maybach's a truly remarkable car.