The History of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen (transliterated: "cross-country vehicle") was first dreamed up in the early 1970s. The intent was to create a rugged, capable, user-friendly, and readily transportable all-wheel-drive vehicle that would be as comfortable on the battlefield as it was shuttling skiers up to their alpine lodges (or farmers into the back forty acres of their Riesling vineyards). Somehow, through a combination of savvy marketing, outrageous pricing, limited production, and butch, rectilinear good looks, the G-Wagon became a status symbol—the vehicle of choice for urbane celebrities, socialite moms, and weekend surfers. It's showed up in rap lyrics and spawned bonkers variations, one of which caught Drake's eye. Say "G-Wagon," and even your license-less friend with a state I.D. gets a little excited.

And while other rids have followed a similar offroad-to-riches evolution (like the Land Rover Defender), the G-Wagon (a.k.a., the G-Class) stands out for remaining essentially unchanged for nearly forty years...up until last year, when it received its first-ever reboot. Walk (or rock-crawl) with us through the history of this angular icon.

1948: The G-Wagen's Large Adult Father

After WWII, a former Mercedes-Benz engineer, who worked for the brand when it was essentially the vehicular wing of the Nazi party, comes up with an idea for an all-wheel-drive, all-terrain civilian vehicle. This open-bed, canvas-roofed truck, the Unimog, was named as an acronym for Universal Motor Gerät ("device"). The Unimog was such a good idea that Mercedes bought the company in 1950, and has been producing endless variations on the Unimog platform ever since, used for everything from ambulances to snowplows.

1973: A Car Is Born

The first styling mock-up for what would become the G-Wagon is created out of wood. The medium makes sense, since the angular truck lacked the sensual curves typically rendered by car designers in clay. The G-Class was divided into two separate model lines—one for military applications and one for non-military applications—but all shared common features: a very robust all-wheel-drive system, a narrow width, and an adorable yet menacing appearance.

1979: The G-Wagon Rolls Out

The first G-Wagons began being hand-built in Graz, Austria. They were available in three different body styles: two-door convertible, two-door wagon, and four-door wagon. One of the first early bulk orders came from the Shah of Iran for his military, but the Islamic revolution deposed him before the order could be fulfilled. The G-Wagon was not officially exported into the United States in its first decade or so, but a few hundred washed up on our shores thanks to individual “grey market” imports that were allowed until 1987.

1980: "G" as in "God"

The Vatican requests a special version of the four-door G-Wagon 230G topped with a clear plastic chamber in which the Pope could stand upright while greeting and blessing his admirers during public appearances. According to The Washington Post, this was the first Popemobile to feature the see-through box that let the Pope stand up while rolling through the crowd (though it wasn't made bulletproof until later).

1990: The G-Class Gets Classy

The G-Class receives its first major styling update. Though Mercedes kept the utilitarian looks, it transitioned the G toward luxury with a special civilian-only line that featured burl wood trim, leather seats, cruise control, and anti-lock brakes, as well as running boards to make getting in and out a less intense affair.

1993: It's Coming to America

After a five-year process, a Santa Fe company called Europa—long a resource for G-Class sales, parts, and service in the United States—receives official permission to legally import and federally certify G-Wagons to sell on the American market. Bringing the trucks up to U.S. standards was expensive for a non-manufacturer, resulting in a six-figure price tag that immediately cemented the truck’s exclusivity, rarity, and luxo-bruiser appeal.

2001: Mercedes Makes It Official

More than 20 years after debuting the G-Wagon, Mercedes decides that the American market is too large and profitable to let Europa have all the fun, and begins importing a V8-powered version of the G-Class into the States. As the years go by and the sales pile up, Mercedes drops more powerful and more luxurious versions of the bourgeois monster truck with increasingly beefy V-8 engines and many of the the high-tech comfort, safety, and convenience features crammed into the brand's more civilized vehicles.

2007: The G-Wagen Refuses to Take an L

Mercedes unveils the GL-Class, a new three-row luxury SUV that's supposed to replace the ancient, utilitarian G-Wagon. But demand for the old truck—the development costs of which had been amortized when Barack Obama was in high school—refused to taper off, and the profits on it were too good for Mercedes to kill it off. A new “Popemobile” was also delivered to the pontiff. The U.S. military even ordered a passel of G-Wagons for use in its endless desert wars. The G-Wagon refuses to go away.

2013: The WTF G-Wagon Arrives

The absolutely insane six-wheeled G 63 AMG 6x6 shows up. It was never sold in the United States, but more than 100 were sold elsewhere, including the Middle East, where the increased ground clearance and extra traction were popular for dune climbing. And stunting.

2016: And Another Crazy G-Wagon Arrives

Though it had been available in other markets for a few years, Mercedes finally makes the G 65 available in the States. This $225,000 rolling brick of excess housed a 621-horsepower V-12 engine up front and quilted leather interior inside—and was proof that, for some people, too much G is never enough.

2017: Okay, Now Two Extreme Gs Arrive

Just when we thought the G could not get any more absurd, Mercedes’ upscale Maybach sub-brand releases the half-convertible (a.k.a., "laundaulet") G 65. It's a limited-edition, $800,000, extra-long guarantee that the valet will park out front. Only 99 were slated to be made, and all of them had the reclining, massaging rear seats out of the Maybach sedan. Drake himself would snag a later G650 landaulet. On top of the droptop, Mercedes also brings out the jacked-up $225,000 G550 4x4², which is basically a G-Wagon with Tonka DNA. Its roof sits seven-feet-four-inches high, making it the ultimate G-Wagon for looking down on people.

2018: A New G in Town

Thirty-nine years after the G-Wagon debuted, it gets its first all-new makeover. Though the 2018 model looks almost exactly like the original, the only parts it shares with that truck are the door handles and the stainless-steel spare tire cover. Longer, wider, more luxurious and sophisticated, and far more stable, but with the same rugged good looks, the new G is actually enjoyable to drive on modern roads without losing any of its automotive anachronism attraction. Only two versions are available, both with twin-turbocharged V-8 engines. But we wouldn't doubt that Mercedes has a few more extreme variants up its sleeves.

2019: Happy Birthday G-Wagon!

To celebrate the G-Wagon's 40th birthday, Mercedes will open a G-Class Experience Center later this year. As a reminder that it's capable of more than juice runs to Erewhon, the center is built on a former Austrian Air Force base, letting customers indulge in off-road lunacy.

Cars

Wanna know a secret? A “classic” car is anything 25 years or older—which means all those under-loved rides of the ’70s and ’80s are officially up for consideration. And if you liked gawking at them as a kid, imagine how much more you’d enjoy driving one right now. Herewith, our nominees for a New Generation of Classics, and how to go about scoring one of your own.

Originally Appeared on GQ