After 38 years of production, the 300 000th Mercedes-Benz G-Class has rolled off the production line.
Starting life as a work truck and military vehicle, the iconic Geländewagen, or G-Wagen, eventually migrating to the modern luxury versions familiar today. The basic body-on-frame platform remains the same as it was in 1979 however these days, the G-Class with high-quality leather interiors, xenon headlights, and chrome brush guards is a far cry from the original workhorse.
There have always been a plethora of variants of the G-Wagen, for customers who can afford the hand-built luxury SUVs. This range includes the indomitable G63 6×6 , the luxurious Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet (that graced our May 2017 magazine cover) to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recently aquired retrofitted electrified G-Class.
Painted in Designo Mauritius Blue Metallic and trimmed with black leather seats and contrasting white stitching, the 300 000th G-Class to roll of the line is a non-AMG G500. This model comes with the off-road package, with 16-inch wheels, knobby tyres, and a roof rack. The combination was voted for by fans on the G-Class Facebook fan page. The car will be on display for the next few months. You can keep tabs on the G-Class through its own hashtag, #Gventure300k.
With more than 20 000 units sold in 2016, every model year since 2012 has been a sales record. That being said, the G-Class is s about to receive its first full redesign since it was launched. One of the main reasons for the design overhaul is stricter emissions regulations. The new G-Class is expected to be unveiled at September’s 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show with sales beginning in 2018.