1979-1989
Born out of a joint venture in 1979 between Mercedes-Benz and two other
companies, Steyr and Puch of Austria, the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Gelaendewagen
was (and still is) virtually hand-built in Austria. It was first and foremost a
heavy-duty off-road vehicle favored by various military groups and safari
zealots. Loosely translated, Gelaendewagen means "tough terrain
vehicle." Those familiar with this rig usually call it by its nickname,
G-wagen. Usually propelled by a diesel engine, the early G-wagen was not
luxurious by any stretch (manual windows and tartan cloth seats were the order
of the day) but developed a reputation for being able to get through most
anything, no matter how treacherous or steep the terrain.
These workhorses were offered with a variety of relatively frugal gasoline and
diesel power plants. As with other Mercedes-Benz models, the numbers and
letters indicated the engine's size and whether it was gasoline- or
diesel-powered, e.g., the 230
G (gas) and 240 GD (diesel). Two gas models (the
four-cylinder 230 and six-cylinder 280) and two diesel models (the 240 and 300)
were available with horsepower ranging from 72 to 150. There were three body
styles to choose from, a pair of short-wheelbase two-doors (hardtop and
convertible) and a long-wheelbase four-door wagon.
Although the G-wagen was not offered for sale in the U.S., the so-called
"gray market" of the 1980s made them obtainable by Americans with deep
pockets. The gray market consisted of companies that brought European-spec
vehicles over to the States and modified them to meet our government's safety
and emissions standards. One such company, Europa International, became so
successful at this that it struck an agreement with the G-wagen people to build
the vehicles it ordered to U.S. standards — that way Europa International
wouldn't have to deal with modifying the vehicles itself anymore. Advertising
in such high-brow publications as Robb Report, Europa built up a nice
business, importing the various G-wagens (two-door hardtop, two-door ragtop and
four-door hardtop), customizing them for its clients and selling them for
around $135,000.
The calling card of the G was its incredibly rugged nature; in 1983 a 280 GE (with
Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur at the helm) won what is perhaps the most
grueling race on the planet, the Paris-Dakar Rally. Not much changed for the
next couple of years, but in 1986 the 50,000th G-wagen rolled off the
line. That year also saw minor changes to the cabin that improved comfort, the
addition of a catalytic converter that decreased emissions and the replacement
of the 240 GD with the 250 GD. The next three years passed without anything
newsworthy, save for the G's 10th birthday in 1989.
1990-1996
A revised chassis was found under the familiar (some would say classic) body
for 1991. A
pair of high-tech features topped the list of improvements that weren't readily
apparent at a casual glance. Antilock brakes and three electronically engaged
locking differentials made the G safer on road and more capable off. In
addition to the standard locking center differential seen on most truck-based
SUVs, the G boasted front and rear locking diffs that gave the Benz the grip
and agility of a mountain goat when faced with treacherous terrain.
Recognizing that the G-wagen was being considered by some folks who cared more
about power, luxury and foul-weather capability than all-out trail-busting
ability, Mercedes brought out the limited-production, V8-powered 500 GE for 1993.
As it was geared toward that aforementioned clientele, the 500 GE
"only" had the center and rear differential locks, as the front one
was typically employed only in the most severe off-road conditions. With 240
horsepower and a cabin trimmed in burled walnut and plush leather, the 500 GE
was a precursor of what would be coming to America nearly a decade later. As
with all other Mercedes-Benz models, the G-wagen's naming system changed for 1994.
From this year on, the "G" would come before the model number (that
is, "G500" as opposed to "500 GE"). For 1996 the
G300 Turbo Diesel debuted, replacing the G350 Turbo Diesel. Although the 300
had a smaller engine, its output (at 177 hp) was actually greater than that of
the larger engine it replaced.
1997-2004
A few new models debuted for 1997. One of those was the new cabriolet
that featured a power-operated convertible top. Another was the 290 GD Turbo
Diesel (120 hp) that replaced the non-turbo 290 GD. The G320 likewise kept its
name but received a new engine, a 215-hp V6. After its brief run in 1993 and
1994, the V8-powered G500 made a comeback for 1998, and became more
widely available. That year also saw the merger of Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler,
giving rise to DaimlerChrysler.
To celebrate the G-wagen's 20th birthday in 1999, Mercedes rolled out a
special edition of the G500, called the G500 Classic. This year also saw the
fitment of multifunction controls mounted on the steering wheel that operated,
among other things, the audio system and trip computer. The year 2000 marked
a turning point for diesel-powered versions of the G. Featuring the latest
diesel technologies (such as common rail direct injection), the powerful G400
CDI provided brisk performance equal to (or even better than) equivalently
sized gas engines. The technology windfall continued for 2001 when
stability control (called "ESP") debuted for the G-Class.
Finally, in 2002 after years of losing potential sales in America, the
G-wagen came to the States. Actually, only one model was chosen for power- and
luxury-hungry Americans — the G500. At nearly $75,000, the G500 certainly
wasn't cheap, but considering that the gray market was getting nearly twice
that over 10 years earlier (for six-cylinder models, no less), it must have
looked like a bargain for G-wagen fans. A mild facelift, including
mirror-mounted turn signals and lights, also occurred that year.
Mercedes' in-house tuner, AMG, performed its magic upgrades on the G-Class for 2003;
the result was the 349-hp G55 AMG. The G55 sported engineering and styling
tweaks over the standard G500 that included a slightly larger and modified V8
(with 57 more horsepower and 51 more pound-feet of torque), side-exit exhaust,
a prominent aluminum brush guard and unique 18-inch wheels with meaty
285/55VR18 performance tires.
Time to celebrate. To mark the G-wagon's 25th birthday, Mercedes rolled out the
"Classic 25" model for 2004, essentially a G500 with special
wheels, brushed aluminum side moldings, silver grille color and of course
commemorative badges. Later in the year, a celebration of horsepower takes
place with the G55 receiving the same supercharged 5.4-liter V8 found in the
pavement-scorching E55. Rated at an astounding 476 horsepower, the muscle-bound
V8 catapults the G55 to 60
mph in just 5.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically
limited to 130 mph,
more than enough for a heavy SUV. Other changes this year included a trio of
additional standard features — multicontour front seats, a Harman Kardon audio
system and rear parking sensors.
