Nearly Forty Six Years Has Past Since One Of The Most Significant Mercedes Shareholders, The Shah Of Iran Suggested That The German Car Manufacture Should Design And Build A Usable Heavy Duty Military Vehicle And Of Course His Wishes Had Quickly Been Granted, Which Lead To A New Partnership Between The Mercedes Benz Factory And The Austrian Military Vehicle Manufacturer, Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Development Promptly Started Creating The Now Famous “Geländewagen”, With This German Translation Meaning Cross Country Vehicle And Was Created For Both Civilian And Military Use. Since The Start Of This Partnership In 1972, The Mercedes Benz Engineers In Stuttgart Had Been In Charge Of The Design And Testing, While The Team In Graz Austria Developed The Production Plans, With The First Wooden Model Being Presented To Daimler-Benz Management In The Middle Of 1973. This First Prototype Was Tested To The Extremes, With Conditions To Include The Challenging Terrain Of The German Coalfields, The Scorching Heat Of The Sahara Desert And The Inhospitable Conditions Of Arctic Circle, With Stringent Testing Continuing For Another Further Six Years Until Production Started in 1979. Today The G Class Or G Wagon Is Bought By Some Of The Worlds Wealthiest People, Individuals That Want The Ultimate In Retro Driving Statements Combining Substantial All Road Condition Capabilities, But Back In 1980 One Of The First Orders That Started This Buying Frenzy Was The Vatican City, With This Specially Adapted G-Wagon Or Popemobile, Nicknamed The “Papa G” To Transport Pope John Paul II On Various World Tours. Alexander And Christoph Siebertz, The G-Brothers Had Slightly Less Divine Or Holy Driving Requirements, When Competing During The Rally Paris-Dakar Of The 1990`s And Yes The G Wagon Was Not Reported As Being One Of The Quickest Track Vehicles, But It Rarely Broke Compared To Other Four Wheel Drive Racers And This Would Also Give Immense Worldwide Recognition To The Mighty Mercedes Benz G Wagon. Ever Since The First Production Cars Rolled Off Graz Assembly Line In 1979, Very Little Has Changed To The Exterior Boxed Styling, With Only Very Subtle Detailing To Change Over The Forty Years And With This Lack Of Heavy Enhanced Changes, Has Now Made The Mercedes Benz G Wagon`s, One Of The Worlds Most Famous Four Wheel Drive Vehicles Of All Time And Still Today Is Viewed As Being The Ultimate Of Must Haves For The Purist Of Motorists.
