A definition of class, the modern Mercedes G-Wagon represents absolute luxury and status. It’s a statement, a sign that you’ve made it, and you want the world to know it. So many are wondering what’s so appealing in a boxy SUV that hasn’t significantly changed in appearance since the ‘80s? 

Well, to understand the G-wagon we need to understand where it comes from, who it was made for, and how it became one of the most recognizable vehicles on the roads today. From its military roots to rap music videos, the G-Wagon is an icon of car culture, and here’s why. 

Heir to the Throne – G Wagon W460

The original G Wagon, or Geländewagen (all-terrain vehicle in German) as it was originally known, was a project commissioned by the Shah (king) of Iran. He wanted to buy a fleet of light all-terrain vehicles for the Iranian military and was looking for solutions. As it just so happens, the Shah held shares in Daimler-Benz at the time, giving him some say when it came to the development of new vehicles. 

Needless to say, he discussed the development of the new vehicle with Mercedes, who took on the job. However, Mercedes couldn’t handle this project alone. Building a reliable engine and transmission was one thing, but putting together a complete all-terrain package including advanced suspension was a tall order for the company back in those days. Fortunately for Mercedes, there was one company nearby in Austria — Steyr-Daimler-Puch. 

Based in Steyr, Austria, this specialized vehicle manufacturer offered everything Mercedes needed for this project. Steyr-Daimler-Puch had plenty of experience building capable military all-terrain vehicles such as the Haflinger and the legendary Pinzgauer. They even designed the original Fiat Panda 4×4. 

The two companies brainstormed a vehicle that would combine the off-road prowess of Puch’s existing portfolio with the reliability of a Mercedes. The end result was the original Mercedes-Benz W460 Geländewagen or Puch G as it was known in many European markets. 

While the car was still in development, the Shah was deposed in the Iranian Revolution, and the new government canceled the order. Despite this, Mercedes continued its development. The prototype was put through the wringer in the coalfields of Cologne, the salt flats of Chott el Djerid, the Arctic circle, and the Austrian Alps where its mettle was tested under severe conditions. 

The body-on-frame and solid axle chassis had been done before and were a tried-and-true method for a rugged vehicle. However, vehicles featuring such a design didn’t drive well on the tarmac. With its ultra-low center of gravity, advanced suspension, and Mercedes know-how, the G handled extremely well both on and off the road. Following the trials, Mercedes was comfortable pushing the car into mass production 

In 1975, they built a facility to hand-assemble the cars in Graz, Austria. Finally, in 1979, a decision was made by Mercedes brass to release the Mercedes G-Wagon to the public. 

When the Vatican ordered a pope G-wagon for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Germany in the ‘80s, there was no holding back the Geländewagen. The car became a legend nearly overnight. The popemobile featured a raised, transparent cab on the back and was christened “Papa G.”

This event originally brought about the premise of the G-wagon being a luxury utility vehicle. Mercedes added creature comforts like air conditioning to the car to make it more comfortable for the Pope.

Body Styles

Mercedes offered the first G-Wagon in three body styles: a convertible, and a two-door and four-door wagon. Although if you do a bit of searching, you will find many modified versions. Car owners, governments, and independent shops customized these vehicles so much that stock W460 G-Wagons are hard to come by.

The iconic boxy design, square headlights, and raised profile began here and continued for another 40 years.

Engines

Unfortunately, the original G-Wagon was underpowered compared with the other vehicles. It weighed around 2 tons, and the most powerful non-AMG version only produced 116KW. Mercedes offered only inline engines and no forced induction. This simple approach did have one fortunate side effect — extreme reliability.

This power deficit was a significant talking point, and one of the big reasons Mercedes decided against bringing the car to the U.S. 

Over the years, Mercedes introduced a number of powerful motors to this platform. As a result, the G-Wagon was available with a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines, including a naturally aspirated V8 that powered the G500 from 1993 to 2018.

The G55 AMG used a supercharged V8, and for a short time before that, a naturally aspirated V8. The AMG version you know and love, the G63 AMG, uses a V8 bi-turbo that produces about 500HP.

Reliability

Featuring not one, not two, but three mechanical, fully locking differentials — one in the front, one in the rear axle, and in one the transfer case, made G-Wagon a formidable off-roader. This allowed the car to transfer power to each of its 4 wheels when necessary. 

Although this has been replicated electronically in modern vehicles, the original G-wagon’s mechanical differential is still looked at as the gold standard for off-roaders.

Puch G

Steyr-Daimler-Puch, known as Magna-Steyr today, was a large producer of military and off-road vehicles when the G-Wagon was first introduced. They had produced vehicles that were praised in Eastern Europe, but also Switzerland, Austria, and other countries in Southeastern Europe.

This led to the car’s official name being the “Puch G” in these countries. It also had the green and white Puch emblem until 2000. Because of the emblem’s popularity and history, you can still order them for your G-Wagon through Magna-Steyr.

W641 

Similar to the W460 before it, Mercedes offered the G-Wagon to governments, militaries, and for commercial use. The W641 came in three packages. The worker was a stripped-down version of the W463 G-Wagon and Mercedes also offered the PUR and then the Professional, which were more utility-oriented than the W463.

The Pritschenwagen, which was offered as a four or two-door truck, equipped with a flatbed with fold-down sides, and the Kastenwagen, a panel van, were both designed for commercial use.

Peugeot G-Wagon? 

Between 1991 and 1998, French car company Peugeot assembled the G Wagon under license for the French army. Dubbed the “P4”, Peugeot used their transmission, and engine while leaving out the front differential lock.

Global Rise to Fame – G-Wagon W463 

The new W463 brought design and chassis revisions to what was then already an aging platform. The car now featured a more powerful engine and the lauded Mercedes turbo diesel. A stripped-down military version, the W461, alongside a more civilian-friendly version, the W463.

The idea of the W463 was to maximize utility while still providing a luxury experience. Soon after its introduction, Mercedes-Benz adopted a more cohesive naming system for their vehicles, and the Gelandewagen became the G-Class.

Aside from minor revisions, it remained largely the same until the introduction of a new model in 2018. Only the Porsche 911 has kept its design language for longer. To place it in this category is a testament to the timelessness of the G-Wagon.

G-Wagon In America

The iconic boxy design, square headlights, and the overall unusual appearance of the G-Wagon have proven to be in perfect tune with the wants of the American market. Although many would consider this the ultimate in European luxury, a considerable share of the vehicle’s global demand comes from the U.S. despite it being officially introduced to this region as late as 2001. Its use in music videos, popular movies, and TV shows elevated the popularity of the G-Wagon to a level that few could have imagined.

Europa is the company that fought all the odds to bring the Mercedes G-Wagon to the U.S. market. They started as a gray import vendor of G-Wagon parts that assembled and modified them for the U.S. market. 

When lawmakers banned gray imports, it took five years to get official permission from the U.S. government to import the vehicles again. This, along with the modifications and import costs, made sure the vehicle was only available to the exorbitantly rich, solidifying its exclusive luxury status.

In 2001, Mercedes purchased the distribution rights from Europa, thus officially entering the U.S. market in this segment. Despite its critical acclaim, Mercedes planned to replace the G with the GL-Class in the U.S. market. They shipped what were supposed to be the last units in 2005 when the U.S. Marine Corps placed a large order to replace their aging light attack vehicle fleet. 

However, it didn’t take long for Mercedes to question their decision and ultimately continue the production of the G-Wagon. Even so, to the dismay of many American G-Wagon fans, in 2021, Mercedes announced they will discontinue sales of the G-Wagon in the U.S.

There is some hope for American fans as an electric G-Wagon has been announced to replace it in the U.S. market in 2024. Dubbed the “EQG”, it’s in line with the industry-wide push to offer electric vehicles.

6×6 G-Wagon Mayhem

Of course, we can’t talk about the G-Wagon without mentioning the G 63 AMG 6×6 behemoth. Some would call it the living embodiment of excess, with its raised suspension and 4 back wheels that make it look like a monster truck.

Originally meant for the Australian army, Mercedes sold over 100 units to civilians. Although production limits kept the vehicle exclusive, the car attracted massive attention, particularly from Hip-Hop fans because of its use in music videos.

Mercedes-Maybach introduced a more “modest” version called Maybach Landaulet in 2017. It is essentially the same vehicle only with four wheels instead of 6. The Landaulet retailed at almost $850,000 with only 100 units ever made.

Some would call it a travesty that most of these rugged vehicles will never see dirt or mud in their lifetime. Its pop-culture use has led to it being a symbol of luxury rather than being an off-road beast. Despite this, Mercedes still designs the car for off-road performance.

G-Wagon in Motorsports 

In 1982, the team of Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur entered the Paris-Dakar rally. The 280 GE they entered with was lighter and faster than a normal G-Wagon, but the iconic body and suspension were largely unchanged. They finished fifth with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud’s G-Wagon coming in third.

Entering again in 1983, the team managed to overcome all the odds, including a sandstorm, to win the Paris-Dakar.

Of course, we can’t discuss G-Wagon adventures without mentioning Gunther Holtorf. A former director of the German-based Airline, Lufthansa, and CEO of another small German airline, Gunther gave it all up at 51 to pursue his dream to travel Africa from North to South.

Along with his wife, they traveled Africa for over five years in their G-Wagon. The travel bug had thoroughly bitten them and after their African adventure, they took the car down to South America.

The couple traversed the continent until Panama, where a lack of roads forced them to travel by ship to the country. They then crossed over into Central America, and eventually ended up traveling through Canada.

Gunther and his G-Wagon, Otto, traveled over 450,000 miles together, living together for over 26 years. Today, The car still has its original gearbox, axles, and differentials as it sits in the Mercedes Museum.

The Future of G-Wagon 

When the second generation Mercedes G-Wagon was retired in 2018, many questioned whether there would even be a new version in a changing world where the new generation of car owners frowned upon excess.

Mercedes had other plans.

Unlike the previous shift from the W460 to the w463, there were no major design changes in the W463A version. Structural rigidity, steering, safety, and suspension changes are the only differences between them. 

Mercedes introduced a new military version alongside it, the W464. It uses the previous generation’s chassis, body, live axles, and 24-volt electrical system with updates to the lighting.

G Manufaktur

Customization has always been a part of the G-Wagon’s history. Independent companies have been offering engine, suspension, interior, and body modifications since the G-Wagon’s inception.

Although Mercedes has offered customization options through its design program, they now offer a G-Class-specific program called G manufaktur. It offers customers the choice between over 26 exclusive colors, 64 different seat color combinations, and many other bespoke options.

Mercedes EQG 

Recently, in 2021, Mercedes announced the EQG concept — an all-electric vehicle based on the G-Wagon. The EQG follows the same design pattern as all previous versions of the G. In other words, the chassis and the trademark appearance remain the same, while the drivetrain and interior receive an overhaul. 

This time around, the drivetrain will be all-electric. According to Mercedes, the electric G should be every bit as capable and reliable as its predecessors. The company has emphasized its dedication to maintaining the G-Wagon’s off-road reputation no matter what. 

The Best or Nothing

The Mercedes G-Wagon is the embodiment of no compromises. Whether your life is an endless adventure or your adventure is a barrage of cameras and glitter, the G-Wagon will take you where you need to go. That being said, this vehicle’s reliability is highly dependent on regular maintenance and the use of quality parts. 

Here at eEuroparts.com, we offer one of the largest catalogs of genuine, OEM, and quality aftermarket parts for all Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including the G-Wagon. To find what you’re looking for, simply head over to our store section, use our vehicle selector tool and choose the right category of prats. It’s that simple!