Life really is stranger than fiction. If you had told me in 1979–when the quasi-military G-Wagen was introduced in Europe–that someday it would be an American bling-mobile, I would have asked you to kindly lay off the crack pipe. Now I just quickly peeled off one shot of this Euro-spec G280, but one of these days we’ll have to do it greater justice; maybe when I find a really nice donked G-whip. Fortunately, in Eugene, that may be a while.
It’s all so ironic too. When I started reading about the the G-Wagen, I was just starting to have my first off-road urges. Needless to say, it was forbidden fruit for Americans back then, but how I lusted for one, with a diesel and five speed. The closest surrogate I came close to buying was a Scout II with the Nissan diesel. No disrespect for the tough Scout, but it was antediluvian compared to state-of-the art G, with its long-travel highly-articulated four wheel coil spring suspension, three locking diffs, and all-round advanced engineering of the kind that made Mercedes (and partner Puch) once famous.
The only question that my MMing never failed to fully answer was whether it would be the long or short wheelbase version.
The G-Wagen was so utterly German in every way; the Übergelandewagen. No conventionally-configured 4×4 could exceed its off-road capabilities; yet it was perfectly comfortable and composed on the Autobahn, if a bit slow with the four-cylinder engines, especially the G240D.
So this is what the world has come to. OK, I’m not going get all grumpy-old-mannish here, but I can truly find no better metaphor for how the world has changed than the evolution of the G. Or devolution, as the case more rightly is.
After lusting so hard for one, I was shocked to hear they would be finally coming to the US in 2002, all tarted up and with a starting price of over $75 k. And they’re still available at your friendly Mercedes dealer, now for $113k, ($134k for the G63 AMG). You wonder why I wrote off Mercedes long ago?
Oh my…Oh my…
Basicly a German RangeRover they copied every aspect and took a long time to insert a V8 for decent onroad performance nice try.
“Shocking the conscience” is the best way to describe the fourth photo. Good grief.
A G240D would be right up my alley, if I could find one. A 240D, but off-road capable? Why not?
Now you have to find a Unimog, there has to be one in Eugene.
A Unimog in the USA? Maybe in somebody’s collection of Matchbox cars! Of course, I’d love to be proved wrong.
All things AWD eventually find their way to my world up here in North Tahoe.
That’s easy. I’ve seen 2 of the old 4 series ones around here. This 1250 double cab is on my Monday route in Squaw Valley.
There are 2 of the Grey Market pre-Bling G Wagens I’ve seen up here and a whole bunch of the newer “I have lots of $ LOOK AT ME!” models. The AMG hold the record for highest gross margin in a vehicle. There is a easy $80k of profit in each one.
I’ve seen multiple Unimogs on the road here. Not commonplace, but there’s a least a few.
Or the recently discontinued Lego Technic model for under $300.00:D
Correction! It turns out that the Lego Unimog hasn’t been discontinued due to the fact that it is still shown on the Lego website and is still sold.
See, I’d settle for a rare steel roofed non-convertible two door Tracker/Sidekick with a five speed manual and manual locking hubs. That’s really all the off road machine I need, just give me a decent set of tires.
My god, that would be beautiful.
My friend had a “red” Tracker in high school. The paint had actually faded to a light pink by that point, but man, was that car unique. Everyone laughed at our automobiles, my ’89 Taurus wagon and his weird-quasi SUV thing, but we didn’t care. The funny part was that I’m about 5′ 6” 125lbs in a large American car while he’s 6′ pushing 270lbs in this tiny truck. It was an odd site to behold in the parking lot. Oh, the memories…
I don’t think crack pipes were around in 1979!
Although this is the first time I have seen a two-door version, I REALLY like it! This vehicle, whether in 2- or 4-door configuration is just my style for a go-anywhere type of vehicle.
Having owned a 1968 Jeep C-101, you’ll see why.
The photo is from 1975. The 1970 Duster I have previously written about is in the background.
Always wanted a C-101. Love the style; love the Jeep in all its forms. Love the Geek Factor in owning a KAISER.
Alas, I came up too late; and was broke when the last of them were coming off the used-car lots. I found a couple; outta my pricerange. Now I can afford more; but the Jeepster belongs in a museum.
Is there any way to glean from the car in question its exact year? I know in New York our car registrations state what make, model, and year the vehicle is right on the sticker, which is mandated to be stuck right on the windshield front and pronto. That doesn’t seem to be the case Oregon, unless I’m wrong.
These things are dime a dozen here in LA. Almost all are painted black, many have chrome brush guards, and virtually all are driven by thin middle aged women wearing leopard print spandex.
I think you’re issued the car and the outfit once you hit a certain age and are of a certain socioeconomic status. 😀
When an Escalade is just too restrained and not nearly tacky enough…….
For around $5k you can get a 1st gen Land Rover Discovery that will replicate the G-Wagen ownership experience pretty well. They drive very similar as well. I had a buddy who had a G, he was always telling me how well engineered and reliable it was, but he was also always fixing it or replacing parts. The bones were good but it requires a lot of care and feeding, much like my Disco. If I ever need another SUV I would get one.
True, but you had better have at least another $5K in your automotive repair account to keep it going . . .
I recent saw one in cosmetically excellent condition inside and out, sitting at my local Pick-n-Pull (I’m guessing it had blown head gaskets and/or a bad auto trans).
Seeing those pics on the bottom, I really want to buy a classic sports car (say a Porsche 911) and put it on a jacked-up 4×4 chassis with 38″ boggers on it, with a sign on the side that says: “This is how stupid your SUV looks with racing tires on it.”
At work we have a bulletproof G Wagen. Unfortunately I’m not allowed to drive it. I’ve only been a passenger once and boy is the the auto struggling to find the gear for the 320 engine. That must be one heavy SUV.
I have always liked these as well. They look so utilitarian and yet so classy, it’s so elegant and so tough at the same time.
And I mean bulletproof, not reliable which it may or may not be.
The same trajectory as the good old Jeep Wagoneer. By the time Chrysler was selling them in the late 1980s, they were swathed in leather with power everything and were priced between crazy and ridiculous. MB in the US just took the formula to a new level.
They were just filling a demand.
I sympathize with your sentiments; my family owned a Kaiser Wagoneer from the pre-bling era…but the truth is, AMC and Chrysler were just filling a market opportunity.
When people have large amounts of disposable income; and get it doing soft girly-work that leaves them ashamed of how domestic and pasty and weak they are…such vehicles, tricked out, offer the best of both worlds. “Lookit MEEE, I can AFFORD this…and I’m gonna take it out to where I butcher whole herds of caribou; and cross whitwater rapids, and go snowshowing for FUN.”
So it goes…so it goes…and the working stiff is left only able to afford a small Japanese truck. Oh, wait – they’re blinged out and cost more than I paid for my home, too!….
Gray-market kei-class import-truck, anyone?
Did anybody see this article about a G wagon that was driven 500,000 miles around the world?
http://www.digitaltrends.com/lifestyle/two-people-a-mercedes-g-wagen-and-their-23-year-500000-mile-journey-around-the-world/
Fantastic story. Thanks.
I see now what I want as a project car at some point: a 300 turbo diesel 4 door G Wagen converted to frybrid.
Unimogs are not daily sights here, unless your neighbor has one (or more), but I see a lot more around here (California, and not even Tahoe) than Vega’s or Pacers (let alone Vauxhall Victors).
i read these g wagen were used in paris to dakar race, by porsche or mercs, but the orig engine with 280 were kind of anemic for the purpose, so they swapped a 928 5 L vee8 in it. these Gs were used as parts wagen and not in the race, they need to go fast enuf ahead of the race car to carry parts for repairs.
it could possibly for the porsche as they were doing the field test for 959 then. probably early 80s. these 911 AWDs were sitting high off, lots of ground clearance.
dropping in a 500 or 63 would make sense for drag racing, how could they corner?
I’m not sure if you overstated the G’s autobahn abilities, Paul. I remember a story from the early 80’s when M-B Australia were looking to import the G-wagen, and the managing director took one of the first off the boat for a spin. When he got back he said to the workshop team “you better go right through this one, there is something seriously wrong with it”, but they found no faults and had to report they were all like that.
I don’t recall what the actual complaint/s were, but I imagine it boiled down to setting a vehicle up for proper off-road conditions involves some real compromises in on-road behaviour, eg rugged tires have less grip, raised CoG degrades road-holding, reducing steering kickback also reduces feel, etc.
As for the current G-wagen, that was slightly embarrassed last year when all of the vehicles on a media trip in the Western Australian desert broke down, including the “Professional” model designed for actual work. I think there was a military spec version still running to fetch the replacement shocks to get them mobile again. To be fair though, on that track shocks are regarded as a consumable item and taking a standard vehicle of any make would be foolhardy.