40 years of the authentic 4×4
We congratulate the Mercedes-Benz G-Class for its 40 years of life, during which it has done nothing but improve. On the one hand, due to the excellent off-road capabilities of the vehicle presented in 1979; and on the other, for having remained true to himself and his values for almost four decades. Since its inception, there was no other path other than upwards for the G-Class, which had become an icon of motorsports. For decades, the G-Class has continually evolved as a practical all-terrain vehicle with great road driving quality. Mercedes-Benz's constant development work has ensured that this car always remains fresh and up-to-date.
Introduced in 1979, devised long before
The world premiere of the G-Class 460 model took place between 4 and 9 February 1979 in Toulon, France. On that occasion, the Mercedes-Benz press dossier emphasized its “indisputable capability on and off the road,” as well as “maximum versatility of use.”
The history of the G-Class began in the summer of 1969, when Daimler-Benz AG and Austria Steyr-Saimler-Puch AG entered into talks about possible cooperation. Both manufacturers offered vehicles with excellent off-road capabilities as part of their ranges: the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, as well as the Puch Haflinger and Puch Pinzgauer. In 1971, the idea of jointly manufacturing an off-road vehicle took shape for the first time. This car would combine some extreme off-road capabilities with good road handling. In autumn 1972, CEOs Dr Joachim Zahn (Daimber-Benz AG) and Dr Karl Rabus (Steyr-Daimler-Puch) reached a basic understanding agreement on the development of a light off-road vehicle.
Development progressed strongly. The first wooden model was created before April 1973 and the first prototype to roll on the road was already carrying out tests in 1974. The images with the technical description, published internally in 1975, showed how quickly the designers and engineers arrived at a design very close to that of what would be the G-Class. The final design with its iconic profile was defined by Mercedes-Benz Design, with Bruno Sacco at the helm. The stylists masterfully combined the large, polished surfaces of the vehicle's body with defined technical features, such as the wide angles of attack and departure, as well as a relatively high vehicle ground clearance, with a decidedly small overall width.
On sale at LG Barcelona from €116.953
Price corresponding to the G350d version. In gasoline, the G500 and G63 AMG versions are available.
