A nicely restored/'restomoded' G-Wagon in later, more luxurious W463 guise
An optimum specification vehicle in long wheelbase, five-door, occasional nine-seater arrangement
Featuring the OM606 engine conversion with Myna diesel pump and six-speed manual gearbox
Striking Porsche Miami Blue paintwork
The Appeal
With an inauspicious beginning as a military vehicle at the suggestion of Mercedes Benz shareholder, the then Shah of Iran, the G-Class started its military service with the Argentinian Army in 1980. Unusually it was Pope John Paul II’s visit to Germany that same year that propelled the G-Class into the world’s conscience, however, giving it a true Papal seal of approval.
Mercedes Benz produced a G-Wagon with a clear thermoplastic top to transport the Pope with maximum visibility and minimal risk. The “Popemobile” or “Papa-G” was born, and the rest is history. In 1990 the G-Wagon underwent a reinvention to become significantly more luxurious and upmarket to better compete with Range Rovers and top end Land Cruisers.
This example has been professionally restored and improved in a thoughtful way. Today the G Wagon presents in an eye-catching Porsche Miami Blue livery and boasting a retrofitted OM606 straight six engine, uprated Myna fuel pump and six speed manual gearbox. A low owner vehicle with an original mileage equating to under 5,000 miles a year on average, this G-Wagon represents a desirable and exciting ownership prospect.
The History and Paperwork
This G-Wagon was produced in 1991, the first full year of W463 production
The vehicle is known to be a UK specified and supplied model
The G-Wagon left the factory in a grey livery
The first owner retained the G-Wagon for around five years
The third, and previous, owner kept it for an impressive 23 years
The current owner acquired the G-Wagon in July 2021
A restoration soon followed with a colour change to blue registered in 2022
In current ownership the OM606 engine upgrade was undertaken
This was carried out by specialists G Restorations of Blackpool
A specialist upgrade Myna diesel pump and six-speed manual was also fitted
The G-Wagon comes with a current V5 in the name of the owner
The current MOT in hard copy is also on hand
This is an advisory free test and valid until September 2024
The Interior
The interior of the G-Wagon is surprisingly luxurious trimmed in grey, ruched leather
Accents of varnished wood veneer help to further promote the luxurious ambiance
Twin, folding bench seats in the rear boost capacity to a theoretical nine occupants
The G-Wagon moved significantly upmarket with the 1990 upgrade. This significant makeover concentrated on given the Range Rover a run for its money whilst further enhancing the car’s rugged off-road capabilities. Suddenly the cabin featured soft, ruched leathers, deep-pile woollen carpets and lots of varnished wood veneer.
This example is finished in hues of grey with the original leather restored by a London based specialist. The commodious front seats are stitched into horizontal panels and faced with soft, grey leather. Both front seats feature individual folding armrests. Useful lidded storage lockers are located under the seat bases. The rear cabin is fitted with identically trimmed seats in an equally fine-looking condition. These seats are split in a two thirds / one third configuration to allow for a number of folding options.
All door cards are finished in ruched, grey leather and the front pair feature commodious door pockets for additional storage. Grey carpets appear to be in a fine, overall condition and the footwells feature heavy duty carpet mats for additional protection. The Alcantara headlining is finished in a complimentary grey and a factory tilt / slide sunroof is fitted.
The large dashboard is constructed from dressed deformable foam finished in black above and grey below a full width varnished wood veneer panel. A familiar trio of white on black VDO Mercedes Benz gauges sit in a hooded binnacle ahead of the driver. The wooden veneer extends into the centre console. A number of push / push switches are located here. These include the three, electrically operated locking differential controls. A Pioneer head unit is located below the heating and ventilation controls. Next to these is situated the six-speed manual gear lever and high / low ratio transfer box lever.
A large “barn door” tail gate affords access to the square and spacious luggage compartment. This is carpeted in grey and features twin, fold down benches for extra passenger capacity when needed.
The Exterior
Benefitting from a recent restoration and respray in Porsche Miami Blue
Exuding a rugged presence with wheel arch extensions and quad Cibie driving lamps
The vehicle sits on refurbished Mercedes Benz five spoke alloy wheels
This example has recently been professionally resprayed and refinished in vibrant Porsche Miami Blue livery. Some contrast is provided by black rubbing strips at the waist and sill level. The robust bumpers are also finished in black. Radiator grill, spare wheel cover and wingmirrors are all coloured coded to the body. A row of four Cibie driving lights are mounted to the front bumper. The flat, tinted cabin glass and front and rear light lenses all appear well presented and original.
This G-Wagon is fitted with a set of pristine looking Mercedes Benz five-spoke light alloy wheels. These are 18-inch rims and are fitted with a matching set of chunky all terrain tyres. These appear to date from 2021 and, consequently, appear to retain an excellent dept of grip providing tread.
The Mechanics
This G-Wagon is fitted with the 3L, OM606 straight six diesel engine
A specialist prepared Myna diesel fuel pump is also fitted
Power is fed to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox
Three lockable diffs and low range transfer box optimise off road capabilities
As is the Mercedes Benz way the G-Wagon was available with a generous range of petrol and diesel engines. In this case the original engine has been replaced with the more powerful M606 Mercedes Benz straight six diesel. This is mated to an uprated Myna fuel pump prepared by a Finnish specialist. In this uprated guise, this G Wagon is thought to produce around 240bhp. To greatly aid both drivability and economy, this example has also been retrofitted with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The under-bonnet presentation of the G-Wagon can be considered as excellent. It looks clean and fresh with all the visible inner panels appearing well painted, clean and solid. All expected data plates seem present and correct and the under-bonnet insulation is complete and in great order. The underside looks equally good with ample amounts of preservative underseal in evidence. There is a little surface corrosion noted in places but certainly nothing of concern.
The G-Wagons of this period offered a comprehensive specification for the times. This included ABS, front, middle and rear electrically lockable diffs and a high / low ratio transfer box. This configuration endowed the G-Wagon with off road and towing capabilities on a par with its more ubiquitous rivals.
Summary
Classic commercials and four-wheel drive vehicles are very popular at the moment. The rugged and individual Mercedes Benz G-Wagon is pre-eminent amongst these thanks to its rugged but stylish persona and rarity value. The later W463 examples are significantly more refined, sophisticated and luxurious making them the most sought after for useable classic four-wheel drive duties.
This example is clearly a professionally restored and improved example with all key aspects of the vehicle having been attended to. In spite of this the all-important originality has been faithfully respected to make this an example that seems very hard to fault. Added to that are those all-important mechanical upgrades which serve to transform the driving dynamics of this example. Surely one of the best of this vintage available and an opportunity too good to miss for those in the know.
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