The G-Class, known as the G-Wagen (short for Geländewagen, “all-terrain vehicle” in German), was conceived in the mid-1970s, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and one of Daimler-Benz AG’s largest individual shareholders at the time, requested a new specialty vehicle to be used by his military. Mercedes-Benz instead developed it with Austrian automaker Steyr-Daimler-Puch for civilian production and released it in 1979, the same year that the Iranian Revolution ousted the Shah. While plans for its use as an Iranian military vehicle never materialized, a military version did become available internationally starting in 1985.

In the decades since its introduction, the G-Wagen has evolved into a vehicle known not for its off-road capabilities but for its high performance and luxury. Mercedes-Benz began offering larger, more powerful engines for the G-Wagen in the 1990s, starting with the V-8-powered 500 GE in 1993, followed by the G 36 AMG in 1994. Today, the G-Wagen is available in a wide range of flashy configurations and is known as a status symbol for celebrities and influencers. With its bare-bones utilitarian specs, this early example reflects the G-Wagen’s original purpose.