Originally conceived as a utilitarian cross-country vehicle (Gelandewagen) for military, municipal, and civilian use, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class marks it’s 40th year of production in 2019.
Much like the British Range Rover – in three generations, the G-Class has evolved from practical and utilitarian vehicle to a powerful and luxurious SUV with extreme off-capability.
At the premiere in 1979, the planners assumed there would be no more than 10,000 G-Class vehicles per year, including special versions for the mining industry.
Today, some 20,000 of them come off the Magna Steyr production line in Graz annually. Until 1999 up to ten percent of the production output was sold in certain countries under the Puch brand.
Magic G-Class moments included the overall victory in the 1983 Paris–Dakar Rally, as well as many successful missions in fire brigade, rescue and police services.
It has remained true to itself and its values since 1979. The new generation of the G-Class which launched in January 2018 is clearly recognisable as a direct descendant of the first G-model series.
According to the G-Class press kit in February 1979, integrating extreme off-road capabilities with outstanding on-road characteristics in one vehicle was the main job of the Daimler-Benz development engineers when the company made the final decision to build this off-road vehicle.
The three differential locks became standard equipment in 1985, the 463 model series with permanent all-wheel drive was launched in 1990, and a unique combination of driving dynamics and traction system became available in 2001.
Each generation of G-Class is put to the test on the Steyr-Daimler-Puch off-road track on a local mountain in Graz known as the Schöckl.
The capabilities of the G-Class all-wheel drive system comes to the fore off-road. Thanks to portal axles, it has large ground clearance. This technology benefited a number of special models of the G-Class, such as the G 63 AMG 6×6 (2013), the G 500 4×4 (2015) and the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet (2017).
The third-generation G-Class debuted a front axle with independent suspension as a first in January 2018, again for improved off-road capability.
In 1990, the 463 model series was launched, which featured a revised and refined interior plus permanent all-wheel drive instead of the on-demand all-wheel drive used up until then. Subsequently, eight-cylinder and even twelve-cylinder engines were used. The 500 GE as the first G-Class with an eight-cylinder engine set the tone in 1993.
It was followed by the top-of-the-range models the G 500 (1998), G 55 AMG (1999) and other AMG versions of the G-Class. An absolute highlight was the premiere of the G 65 AMG in 2012. Its V12 engine had an output of 450 kW (612 hp) and produced 1000 Newton metres of torque.
Among the most famous G-models are the Vatican’s pope mobiles.
The first vehicle based on the G was built in 1980 out of a 230 G. Painted white and sporting the hallmark Plexiglas dome over the rear compartment, this G went down in history as the “Papa mobile”.
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