The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the all-time classic vehicles that became iconic in the car industry.
There are only a handful of cars that could go into that “hall-of-fame” territory. And it all started in 1979.

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was one of the significant stake-holders of the Mercedes-Benz and he suggested making a civilian version of the military vehicle G-Wagen. The project started in 1972 and Mercedes-Benz and the Austrian special vehicles manufacturer Steyr worked together for this. In February 1979, the first G-Wagen rolled out the factory.

The brick design of the G-Class was easier to manufacture. The door hinges were exposed and the overall vehicle looked like it was built from flat sheets of metal. But that was the idea, to look sturdy and rough. The introduction of the cabriolet version was a good idea for those who wanted to enjoy the open-air feeling, and it was easy to transform the 3-door closed-cabin bodywork into a convertible, since the car featured a body-on-frame construction.

For the interior, the car-maker installed two front seats and a cramped space for the rear passengers, who had to fit between the retracted canvas-top and the front seats. It was not a comfortable solution, but it worked.

The first series, the W 460, was produced up to 1992 when the new W 461 came along. It wasn’t a significant change on the look of the vehicle, but more engines and newer technologies were installed.