Luxury automotive company Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its second and final collaboration with the late design juggernaut Virgil Abloh at Art Basel Miami Beach. With the beloved creative director’s recent untimely death, the German vehicle company has expressed their condolences and revealed their most recent collaborative venture, Project Maybach.
The automotive retailer announced in a statement, “Mercedes-Benz is devastated to hear of the passing of Virgil Abloh. Our sincere thoughts are with Virgil’s family and teams. Now opening the world of our collaboration, and Virgil’s unique vision, to the public, we want to respectfully celebrate the work of a truly unique design talent, who created endless possibilities for collaboration through his unbridled imagination and inspired all that knew his work.”
The concept vehicle, conceived by Abloh, is a reimagined iteration of the classic car model. Together with Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener the battery-powered, zero-emission two-seater looks to the future while respecting the Maybach’s rich history.
Following the joint efforts of Abloh and Wagener’s G-Class race car and Project Geländewagen, Project Maybach was first announced in October. While it is not clear if the model will ever actually go into production, it is still a sight to behold. Maintaining the style’s signature barred grille, the glossy gold and black two-seater has an accentuated front-end, coated with integrated solar cells, complete with safari-inspired headlights. Getting the off-road treatment, Virgil’s Maybach includes a light-bearing roof rack, obscuring the line between a classic luxury vehicle and a sporty sedan. With a full leather interior in a matching shade of tan, the high-tech dashboard screen evokes an almost intergalactic energy, fit for a spaceship.
While the project unveiling has gone on with its original schedule, Project Maybach will now be on view for a larger crowd than previously planned at the Abloh family’s request. While the vehicle was originally set to debut at a smaller-scale press conference, it will now be on exhibit at the Rubell Museum until Thursday night.
A multifaceted designer, Virgil Abloh gave a fresh and unique perspective to all of his artistic endeavors. What was once considered an odd pairing for a partnership, Abloh and Mercedes-Benz’s past collaborations laid the groundwork for the automotive marque to join forces with several other luxury fashion brands. A master of his craft and a pioneer in design, Virgil Abloh and his artistry will most certainly be missed.
