In the long history of automobile development, there are several models that have not changed much since their birth. Therefore, in the eyes of modern people, they have also become representatives of "classics". These models include the Beetle, MINI, etc. This includes the Mercedes-Benz G-series off-road vehicles. Recently, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach G650 Landaulet was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. As the top model of the current G-class, it is also the last model. The car is limited to 99 units (it is expected that there is basically no quota in China) and will be launched in the fall of this year. The price has not yet been announced. The domineering appearance and powerful configuration have attracted many people's attention, and at the same time, the Mercedes-Benz G-series models have once again been pushed to the forefront. To date, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been around for more than 30 years and is one of the longest-running models under Mercedes-Benz. Today we will review the development history of the Mercedes-Benz G series and see what kind of charm has made it so enduring. Many people may think that the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which was born in 1979, has been more than 10 years behind in the development of off-road vehicles compared to brands such as Jeep and Land Rover. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a history of producing Gelandewagen off-road vehicles as early as 1928, which can be regarded as the ancestor of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
The earliest demand for Mercedes-Benz to produce off-road vehicles also came from the military. In 1926, the German military required Mercedes-Benz to produce a vehicle with good passability. It looked very strange and somewhat similar to today's long-nose trucks, but had good off-road capabilities. Its name was Gelandewagen G1. Unfortunately, the German military finally chose the model of Horch (a member of the Auto Union, the predecessor of Audi). The Mercedes-Benz G1 lost in the competition with Horch, and the subsequent G5 was not favored either. As a result, Mercedes-Benz did not develop off-road vehicles for a long time.
The birth of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class originated from the early 1970s when Mercedes-Benz received an order from the Iranian military for an off-road vehicle. Mercedes-Benz decided to develop a hardcore off-road vehicle. The initial G-Class model was designed in 1973, and the first Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen was officially born in 1979 (its chassis code was W460, and after 1994, the G-Wagen was officially renamed the Mercedes-Benz G-Class).
However, when the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen was born, a coup d'état broke out in Iran, and the regime of King Pahlavi was overthrown by the "Black Storm" revolution. As a result, the G-Wagen failed to enter the army.
However, other countries are flocking to the G-Wagen. More than 20 countries, including Austria, Switzerland, Argentina, Norway, Slovenia, etc., have purchased it as a military vehicle! The off-road capabilities of the G-Wagen have been given a chance to show their prowess in the armies of various countries. And because it has become a military vehicle, its off-road performance has been deeply developed!
In 1980, a special Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen began to serve the Vatican. It was modified to allow the Pope to attend public events in a lofty manner.
Until now, a special Mercedes-Benz G500 convertible remains one of the important seats for the Pope to attend events. In 1991, the G-Wagen codenamed W461 was launched. It mainly served as a military vehicle and the number of models was reduced.
The interior of the W461 was redesigned in 1997, with the use of a large amount of wood grain decoration inside the car, making the interior more luxurious.
In addition, as early as 1990, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen became a military vehicle of the German Federal Armed Forces, codenamed "Wolf". The picture above is a typical military modification case of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class by the military around the world! The front of the car has a reinforced bumper and winch, the body is painted in military green, and there are two large-caliber machine guns that look domineering! At the same time, its excellent off-road performance is also an important guarantee for the combat effectiveness of the army in extreme environments. W463 can be called the luxury version of G-Wagen. It was launched in 1990 and has been greatly improved in configuration. ABS system has become standard, and it is also equipped with airbags. The four-wheel drive system has been changed from part-time four-wheel drive to full-time four-wheel drive, and the front, middle and rear three electronically controlled differential locks have been upgraded!
In 1994, all Mercedes-Benz models were renamed. The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, code-named W463, was renamed Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which is now the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz G500 was launched in 1998, equipped with a 5.0L V8 engine. Today, the Mercedes-Benz G500 is still on sale, but the displacement has been upgraded to 5.5L.
In 1999, the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG was born, which made Mercedes-Benz G-Class fans crazy. In addition to the strong off-road performance of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, this model is also very powerful. From the appearance, it is not much different from the ordinary Mercedes-Benz G500, but if you look closely at the wheels, body logos, and thick side exhaust, you can find the special features of the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG. Of course, there is also the g63 6x6 which is larger, taller, harder to get and more expensive and is exclusively for the rich in the Middle East.
Mercedes-Benz G series is very popular among the local tycoons, especially in the Middle East, and has also become the car of many celebrities in China. However, in China, few people actually drive it off-road because of its luxurious interior and high price.
In 2005, Mercedes-Benz originally planned to replace the then Mercedes-Benz G-Class with the more luxurious Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, and even the final version of the Mercedes-Benz G500 Grand Edition had been launched on the market. However, the US Marine Corps' order for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class made them give up.
The g63 6x6 was discontinued after selling 100 units, and now the quota for the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet is only 99 units. It seems that the Mercedes-Benz G has to be the luxury tough guy in the off-road vehicle market. Compared with the entire history of automobile development, the 35-year development of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is not a long time, but it is one of the longest-produced models under Mercedes-Benz, and it has been hand-crafted for a long time. In the automotive industry, perhaps only a few brands such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley can do this.
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