MercedesGClass photos on Flickr

Spotted at Le cimetière américain de Colleville-sur-Mer / Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, the American cemetery for American soldiers died since the 2nd World War.

The car is located in Bergheim & Erftkreis, in the western Germany.

Mercedes Benz 250GD by Charles Dawson

10 4

Seen in Fuerteventura.

Mercedes G-Glass by Morten Byskov

5 1

Camera Reviews | Travel Blog | Instagram

Canon AV-1,

Canon FD 28mm f/2.8,

Kodak TMAX 100

Negatives are copied with an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D

and converted using the Negative Lab Pro Lightroom plugin.

Canon AV-1 Review:

www.5050travelog.com/camera-and-lens-reviews/canon-av-1-r...

Canon FD 28mm f/2.8 Review

www.5050travelog.com/camera-and-lens-reviews/canon-fd-28m...

Tomica Mercedes-Benz G-Class Wagon by Nirmala Liyanaarachchi

5

Mercedes G-Class by Jason Lawrence

6

A very LA-looking G-Wagen on the LA freeways.

1983 Mercedes-Benz G-Class by Ruairidh MacVeigh

7

It's interesting how the G-Class has evolved from a tough and gritty German utilitarian runabout for the West German Army, to one of the most sought after luxury SUV's on the market, even putting a fight with the likes of the Range Rover and the Cadillac Escalade.

The G-Class first started development way back in 1972 as an attempt at taking on the newly constructed Range Rover, a utilitarian 4x4 with the comfort and luxury of a regular saloon car. Following a cooperative agreement between Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Graz, Austria, although design and testing was carried out by Mercedes-Benz engineers in Stuttgart. In Graz, a development team oversaw the production plans. The first wooden model was presented to Daimler-Benz management in 1973, with the first drivable prototype beginning various testing including German coalfields, the Sahara Desert, and the Arctic Circle in 1974.

Construction commenced on a new production facility in Graz, where the new cross-country vehicle would be assembled nearly entirely by hand in 1975, with production of the "G Model" beginning in Graz in 1979. In 1980, the Vatican took delivery of a specially made G-Wagen outfitted with a clear thermoplastic top which served as the Popemobile. The “Papa G” later took up permanent residence at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

The first major refinements were introduced in 1981, including an automatic transmission, air conditioning, an auxiliary fuel tank, protective headlamp grilles and a cable winch. Fuel injection became available in 1982, when the 230 GE was introduced in Turin, along with more comfortable and supportive front seats, auxiliary heating, wider tires and fender flares. For 1985, differential locks, central door locking and a tachometer become standard and by 1986 over 50,000 G Models had been produced.

The G-Wagen was facelifted in 1990. In 1989, for the 10th anniversary of the G Model, a new model variant with permanent 4-wheel drive, a wood-trimmed interior and optional Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) debuted at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. Production began the following April. For 1992, a new sub-series for professional users began production. The civilian model began to offer cruise control, a stainless-steel spare-tire cover, running boards and Burl Walnut wood interior trim. The same year, the 100,000th G Model was built in Graz.

In 1994, the model line was officially renamed the G-Class. Ventilated front disc brakes and a driver’s air bag became standard. In 1996 the automatic transmission became an electronically controlled 5-speed unit. Headlamp washers, cruise control and a front passenger’s air bag were added. In 1998, the range-topping G 500 with a 296hp V8 was introduced for series production.

For 1999 a limited run of V8 powered "G 500 Classic" special editions marked the model's 20th anniversary. A multifunction steering wheel was added to all models. Later in the year, the new G 55 AMG debuted as the most powerful G-Class yet, with 354hp. The U.S. market launch of the G-Class took place in 2001. New alloy wheels, a chrome grille and body-colour bumpers plus a more luxurious cabin were introduced. New dynamic control systems included the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Brake Assist and the 4 wheel Electronic Traction System (4 ETS).

The G55 AMG was upgraded in 2004 with a supercharged V8 engine developing 476hp. In Siberia in 2006, a documentary filmmaker was the first foreigner to reach the world’s coldest region with a passenger vehicle in winter, driving a stock G500 nearly 19,000 km without a single breakdown, in temperatures as frigid as −63˚F/-53 °C.

A new version was expected for 2007, but the new GL-Class did not replace the G-Wagen, and it will continue to be hand-built in Graz, Austria at an annual production of 4,000 to 6,000 units. In February 2009, Magna Steyr, an operating unit of Magna International, announced that it signed an agreement with Daimler AG to extend the production of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria until 2015. Besides the production, the further development of the G-Class by Daimler's subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Consult Graz since 1992.

For 2007 the output of the G 55 AMG was raised to an even 500 hp. Bi Xenon headlamps, corner-illuminating front foglamps and new scratch-resistant nano-particle paint finishes were offered for the first time. In 2008 more-refined instrumentation and controls were included in the G-Class cabin, along with the COMAND system with hard-drive-based navigation, a rear view camera, voice control, Bluetooth and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The Vatican received a new white “Popemobile” based on a G500 and 2009 marked the 30th anniversary of the vehicle, with over 200,000 units having been manufactured in Graz since 1979.

Over the years the G-Class has had hundreds of variations, including extended wheelbase versions, five-door, pickups, small buses and even the formidable 6x6 AMG, which, as tested by Richard Hammond, is capable of doing just about anything you could possibly imagine!

So there you go, the transformation of what was going to be something like the Jeep at one end of the market, ended up locking horns with the Range Rover at the other, and we can owe it all to Merc's constant innovation!

by Comiccreator24

4

Mercedes G-Class and a matching building in Orlando, Florida - June 20, 2019.