• Sought-after off-road icon

 • ‘Magno’ matt-finish paintwork

 • Mechanically sound and runs well

 • 4-litre diesel engine

Launched in 1979, the Gëlandewagen (‘all-terrain car’) has climbed every mountain and forded every stream, and provided transport to a wide range of users including armies, forest rangers, firefighters and even the Pope. 

Although originally developed as a military all-terrain vehicle, more luxurious models were later added to the line, and the G-Wagon has a reputation as a very capable off-roader that combines ruggedness with refinement in a way that its British rival, the Land Rover, never quite managed. 

It’s become the 4x4 of choice for the rich and famous. 

The G-Wagon has remained in the Mercedes range for an amazing 42 years, and has changed very little in that time. The 400,000th unit rolled off the production line in December 2020.  

Y 627 KGO looks remarkably good for its twenty-plus years, and numerous significant invoices within the history file testify that it’s a car that has been well (and expensively) cared-for.  

 • MoT until October 2022

 • Full HPI check

 • Certificate verifying factory records

 • Thick file of invoices

 • Many thousands spent

Manufactured in 2001, the car was sold into the German market before being re-registered in the UK in 2004. 

The vendor believes that the car had only one owner prior to being brought to the UK, and the V5 records three subsequent owners. 

The car comes with an extensive file of paperwork: as well as an MoT valid until October 2022, there’s a certificate from Daimler-Chrysler verifying the car’s factory records, a full HPI check carried out in November 2021, and invoices from throughout the car’s life. 

Some of these record figures of several thousand pounds; this is clearly a car that has had no expense spared in servicing and maintenance.  

Recent invoices include one from September 2020 recording a full service and belt change, with a total close to £3200, and in the last few weeks the vendor has spent around £1400, at specialist Merc Medics in Woking, having the Signal Acquisition Module (SAM) replaced. 

The vendor purchased the car in November 2021, but a serious skiing injury sustained early in 2022 has meant that he has not been able to drive it, and with another major operation looming he faces months of recovery before being able to drive again. 

So he has decided that, reluctantly, the time has come to sell it.    

 • High-end, comfortable interior

 • Nine-seater thanks to seats in rear

 • Black leather seats in excellent condition

 • Clean carpets with no sign of wear

The rather boxy, angular lines of the G-Wagon’s styling mask the fact that it has a well-appointed and refined interior. 

Here, you’d never guess that this is a twenty-year-old car; the smart black leather seats have few signs of wear, the leather-trimmed door panels are all in excellent condition, and there are few clues to the cars age, or mileage. 

It really is remarkably well-preserved, and it’s a luxurious driving environment. 

There’s a high-quality stereo, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity. All the electric windows work, as do the seat adjustments, but the vendor reports that the electric sunroof works only intermittently. 

This has been diagnosed as being an issue with the switch, rather than anything more serious, but the timeframe for parts ordering is currently long and the vendor has not been able to address this.  

All the door apertures have chrome kick-plates, all of which are in excellent condition. 

Those two bench seats in the rear load bay, fully equipped with seat-belts, make this G-Wagon capable of seating nine people in safety, and the rear bay shows few signs of having been used, with clean and unmarked carpets. 

There’s a collapsible mesh grille between the rear bay and the rear seats, useful for the owners of lively dogs. 

 • Stunning Magno finish paintwork

 • Few external blemishes

 • Sound wheels and tyres

 • Towbar

The unusual Magno Tectite Grey paintwork, with its matt finish, really looks good on this car. 

The finish reduces the susceptibility to scratches because of the way the light reflects from it. The vendor is sure that the paintwork is original, such is the high standard of finish, in which case it really has fared well. 

There are a few points to note – there is some minor damage to the rear bumper (see pictures) which shouldn’t be difficult to replace. The rear-mounted spare wheel cover has some scratches on it. 

All four wheels are in very good condition, with some very minor evidence of corrosion and a few mild scuffs, and there is plenty of tread on all the tyres. 

 • 4-litre twin-turbo diesel V8 engine

 • Auto ‘box

 • Clean and tidy engine bay

The 4-litre twin-turbo diesel engine is not common, but certainly provides the ability to use the G-wagon as intended, both on and off-road. 

The car starts readily and the diesel engine sounds healthy. The auto ‘box slips easily into gear, and the car pulls away as it should. The high driving position gives a great view of the road, and the leather seats are comfortable and supportive. 

The vendor assures us that the car drives really well. All those invoices attest to the fact that the car has been impeccably maintained and should offer many more miles of trouble-free motoring. 

The engine bay provides further evidence of the car’s cosseted lifestyle, showing little evidence of its age or mileage. 

Underneath the car, there’s no evidence of leaks or of corrosion. 

Few vehicles can reach the dizzy heights of legendary status – Mini, Beetle, Defender and Mustang are four names that spring to mind – but with its 42-year history and strong reputation, the Mercedes G-Wagon can hold its own at the top table of motoring icons. 

The G-Wagon has a big following and a lasting appeal. Because the car’s styling has changed so little, even older examples still look contemporary. The car’s utilitarian styling is much enhanced, on this example, by the matt finish of the Magna Tectite Grey paintwork. 

The car has had a lifetime of care and attention, and there are few signs of its age. 

For a combination of on-road comfort and off-road adventures, this one is hard to beat.