Mercedes Celebrates Four Decades of G-Class
We look back over the last four decades, to some of the classic variants, and why they established such a great reputation for Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicle engineering. Remembering some of the greatest Geländenwagens
A off-road history like no other
A true exploration vehicle with unrivalled off-road ability it has been mobilizing adventure for more than four decades with a proven heritage associated with these vehicles. As can be seen in the image above, customer demand and utility has shaped a great diversity of applications and body shapes for the Geländenwagen.
Military grade off-road convertible
Since the very beginning, the Geländenwagen was wonderfully over-engineered. Can you imagine any other convertible roof off-roader with the structural integrity to do this? No. You can’t. With its overbuilt ladder-frame steel chassis, even the short-wheelbase, the Geländenwagen was tremendously strong and structurally sound.
>>Join the conversation about The Geländenwagen right here in the Mercedes-Benz World Forum!
Proving that bigger is not always better
Mercedes-Benz realized the value of a compact wheelbase off-road and as such, offered a smaller Geländenwagen package in 1979. With superior straddle angle and better departure angle geometry, the short-wheelbase Geländenwagen proved virtually unstoppable off-road.
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G-Class was your ticket to adventure in the early era of SUVs
If you wanted a true adventure vehicle in the 1980s that was capable of traversing any route you desired, the Geländenwagen was your choice. With its robust structure repairs and maintenance on a journey lasting months, in the worst possible terrain, was never a concern. The strong roof also meant that Geländenwagen could carry a lot of additional gear on the top as well.
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The ultimate off-road panelvan
As the Geländenwagen became increasingly more popular with off-road adventurers, Merc responded to customer demands in kind. If you need to pack a vehicle full of gear, and don’t wish to have anxiety-riddled theft concerns, then a panel van structure is superior to having rear doors with windows. These three-door long-wheelbase Geländenwagens were outstanding load carriers and could stack a lot of gear in the rear thanks to the absence of rear seats.
>>Join the conversation about The Geländenwagen right here in the Mercedes-Benz World Forum!
The Germans even built a pick-up truck version
Part of the Geländenwagen legend was established by its pick-up trucks. With solid axles and three lockable differentials, these pick-ups were virtually unstoppable on the off-road trails. If you were a rancher with a preference for German engineering, the Geländenwagen pick-up was a great status symbol to have that was more than capable.
>>Join the conversation about The Geländenwagen right here in the Mercedes-Benz World Forum!
A German luxury brand which understood its off-road customers
As time evolved throughout the original Geländenwagen’s life cycle, its boxy appearance gained greater acceptance to the larger market. Other SUVs were being styled to observe current trends, but the Geländenwagen remains true to its 1970s roots. However, what really made this vehicle so legendary over the last four decades, was the unfailing durability and true off-road ability. See those steel wheels? Mercedes-Benz was never unduly pressurized to roll alloys on the original G-Class since they knew that true off-roaders preferred the DIY repair features of a steel wheel.
>>Join the conversation about The Geländenwagen right here in the Mercedes-Benz World Forum!
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