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. It started with four engine- and five-body variants and two wheelbases and lengths. But the most important feature that made the G-Class so popular was not the shining bodywork. It was the reliability and go-anywhere capability.

The body-on-frame construction allowed a lot of improvements over time. But, from the start, it had live solid axles front and rear and three lockable differentials, which was something unique on the market.

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. Up until 2001, more luxurious features were added, including the automatic transmission and even a few AMG versions.