The G 4 is allways causing a lot of confusion, through the years I,ve become a specialist on this theme and have been more often asked to help solve difficult matters about the G 4.
Starting with just a very few G1 (Gelände in German) vehicles in 1926, Daimler-Benz was to produce a line of 3-axle cross-country cars intended for the German Armed Forces.
The G3 was introduced in late 1928.Daimler-Benz began to discuss a new and improved version of the 6-Cylinder G3 allready in March 1931, using the designation G4 for this new project, aiming at futher development of a design suitable to the armed forces and competitive when compared yo the offerings put forward by the other.German manufactures of military cross-country vehicles. For some reasen the works were already in May 1931 asked by a representative of the Armed Forces to use the designation G3a instead of G4 from then on. The G3a was introduced in 1933 and it was produced up to 1938.
The G4 designation would instead be used for cross-country passenger equipped with the 8-cilinder 5 litre and 5,4 litre type engine, in this case without supercharger as in the 500K and 540K modells. Driven on both rear axles this vehicle had 4-wheel drive in a sense, but there was never a version produced driving on the front wheels.
Intended for use by the German government, The Party and the Armed Forces only,the G4 was never offered for sale to the public. Introduced in 1934 it was produced throughout the 1930s and right up to 1943, being continually modified, improved, rebuild, rebodied and armoured.
Weigting about 4,5 tons fully laden and ready for duty, the G4 was still put to extremely hard work and had to sustain very trying conditions during the war. In reality too heavy and much too slow ( with a 67 km/h top speed ), it was contrary to what is sometimes claimed- never futher developed with six-wheel drive. This perhaps explains why the only fifty-seven examples ever produced.
Today there are only four of G4s known to exist.
One is the car to see in the movie "Die Nacht der Generäle" later known as the Frensch Lecoq car, today it is from the collection Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas but is now in the William Lyon Collection , it has the chassis number 440875.
A other G4 is the car with the number 406528 known as the grey car from Hogan Heroes , today the G4 is restored. sold in Germany and now in a private collection in England.
In Germany is also a G4 in the Auto&Technik Museum in Sinsheim , It is also a Offener Tourenwagen, chassis number 406530. The complete body is new, original the car has a closed body. A shame !!!!.
It was used by the Reichs Post and later as a firebrigadecar in Prague.
A very nice G4 was at the Mercedes-work for a ground up restauration, it is the G4 Offener Tourenwagen , ch nr 440881 delivered to Spain in 1939, it was a gift to Franco.
The black G3a for Sale for a long time now is a Fake , a product of a german that build a Offener-Tourenwagen Body on a G3a Truck chassis that was found in Scandinavian. It likes very good , but it did never exist.
From the G4 ( W 31- W 131 ) are produced a total of 57.
Offener Tourenwagen 49 ,Funk Wagen ( Communications car ) 7 , Gepäck Wagen ( Luggage car ) 1.
The vallue to day: millions!!!!!!
One Mercedes-Benz G4 has RHD., build with the rare number U 142176 and was ordered by the Oberkommando d Heeres from China.