Brands court celeb clients after Maybach withdrawal

Daimler's luxury Maybach counted actors, rappers and royalty amongst its elite clientel. Photo / Supplied

Movie stars, hip-hop hustlers and royalty can all expect letters from Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer now that rival Daimler is killing off the ultra-luxury Maybach.

The British high-end carmaker is approaching rival Maybach clients, who include Pulp Fiction star Samuel L. Jackson, rapper Jay-Z and Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos, hoping to capitalise on the brand's demise.

"The withdrawal of Maybach is a business opportunity for us and we're going to use it," said Duerheimer.

Daimler said late last year that it planned to end production of Maybachs, which start at US$380,000 ($478,615).

One of the world's most potent wealth symbols, the condemned brand counts Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich and the Sultan of Brunei among its following.

Duerheimer has already heard from some Maybach clients and is "in the process" of writing to others.

"The comments I'm receiving aren't very positive - they feel left alone."

Daimler is focusing on the core Mercedes-Benz brand's top-flight S-Class, adding pricier variants designed to inherit and enlarge Maybach's super-rich client base, starting next year.

But Bentley and BMW's Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are hoping Maybach owners will instead defect to their plushest models; the Mulsanne and Phantom.

At US$380,000, the aluminum-framed Rolls-Royce Phantom comes in close to the lowest-priced Maybach, the 57.

Bentley's Mulsanne, which starts at US$290,000, offers a 2200-watt sound system, heated steering wheel, movie screen and optional iPads housed in the handmade seat-back picnic tables.

Duerheimer is inviting Maybach clients for VIP tours of the Volkswagen-owned Bentley factory in England. "I want to create a specific welcome zone inside our brand," he said.

Daimler declined to comment on Bentley's initiative, but said the closure of Maybach will not affect availability of parts and support for existing vehicles.

Although Rolls-Royce would "naturally welcome any current Maybach customers, seeking them out and hunting them down is not the Rolls-Royce way".

Because of their celebrity and high-spending on bespoke extras, the Maybach set are a bigger prize than sales volumes alone suggest. The elite marque recorded just over 200 deliveries in 2011.

Bentley last year made its first positive contribution to Volkswagen profit since 2007, as sales surged 37 per cent to 7003 vehicles globally, almost doubling in China.

Rolls-Royce deliveries rose 31 per cent to 3538, with China overtaking the US as its biggest market.

Bentley is also targeting owners of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Duerheimer wants Volkswagen to approve development of a luxury SUV that would displace the Porsche as the most expensive model in the fast-growing category.

The Bentley SUV could be introduced in 2015 and command a premium of "more than 20 per cent" over the top Cayenne, he said.