The toughest letter in the world: this is G

© by CLR-Media for unekual

The Pope, Cardi B, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Britney, The Weeknd, Paris Hilton, Sylvester Stallone and Kylie Jenner - an unusual party guest list, but one that would more likely than not result in a valet parking lot jam packed end-to-end with a variety of one model of motor vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Back in 1979 The Shah of Iran commissioned Mercedes-Benz, of which he was a significant shareholder of, to create a military spec utility vehicle to withstand the challenges of crossing vast expanses of sand and salt found in the country he presided over. The order was not a small batch reserved for just The Shah or other high ranking military personnel, oh no, this was an order for no less than 20,000 vehicles that meant Mercedes-Benz had to seek expertise and knowledge from further afield than its Stuttgart home turf.

Steyr-Daimler-Puch, or SDP, were based in neighbouring Austria and were renowned for their military equipment manufacturing skills. They were the ideal people to help Mercedes-Benz meet the strict requirements of The Shah. In 1979 the G-Wagon was born, a hand built, all-wheel-drive machine that had been tested all over the planet from the German coalfields, Arctic Circle and the Sahara Desert. The G was boxy, tough and fit-for-purpose. The order from Iran which arguably culminated in the existence of the G was never fulfilled as the Islamic revolution deposed The Shah, however, Mercedes-Benz were so pleased with the results that discussions began internally to convert the military spec vehicle to civilian specifications.

It was this decision that has led to the G-Class that we know and love today, but these were still military vehicles at heart with few creature comforts. Even the Pope Saint John Paul II wanted in on the action and a purpose built Popemobile was created featuring a clear plastic chamber from which within greetings, smiles and blessings were shared.

It was not until 1990 that the G-Class was treated to a classy fit out that featured countless hides of leather and forests of wood trim. Beneath the boxy lines and imposing stance there was ABS and cruise control to keep the big brute on the straight and narrow, but none of the off-road prowess that was earned during testing on the gruelling trail of the Shöckl mountain in Austria had been lost. This sizeable step towards making the G-Class more civilised, whilst still looking like it had just driven off of the battlefield, began to generate quite the cult following. The G was not officially available in The United States until 2001, but hundreds had been snuck in on the ‘grey market’ before 1987.

It was the move to the US that triggered strong sales and immense demand despite The G-Class being thirsty to run and eye wateringly expensive when compared to any of its competitors. It was this demand and hefty price tag that led the G-Class to become a must-have accessory and a status symbol that was desired by all, regardless of gender, race or age.

At this point Mercedes-AMG saw an opportunity to get in on the action and higher performance G 55, G63 and G 65 models were introduced. Even more shocking and jaw dropping limited editions were born. These included the six-wheeled G 63 6x6 that was only dwarfed by its $615,000 price tag. In 2018 an even more lavish variant emerged, the V12 G 650 Landaulet of which 99 were produced at a cool price of $1mil - it should come as no surprise that Drizzy Drake himself was quick to take ownership of one. These rare models and every G before them can only wear the iconic badge after years of development and testing. All are still being manufactured at Magna Steyr (the new title for SDP) and being tested on the same Shöckl Mountain where every previous generation was put through their paces to make sure they can tackle any terrain, even if they may only be used to cruise the boulevards of Beverly Hills or the mews of Mayfair.

‘Hype’ is a word that is regularly tossed around the automotive industry. From electric Teslas to the latest supercars from the likes of Lamborghini, every new release has its moment, but very few cars will universally turn heads or remain desired for decades after they were unveiled like a G-Wagon can. In my mind, only the Porsche 911 maintains such strong visual queues and design elements that hark back to the very first model like the G-Class can. An icon with a cult following that deserves the hype which it has earned over the decades.