The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon has long been a favorite of militaries around the world due to its reliability, toughness, and off-road ability. The 240GD G Wagon you see here was originally deployed with the Singapore Army and it’s now being offered for sale.
The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces, which also has a navy and an airforce. In some respects Singapore is the Switzerland of South East Asia, it’s a small, neutral country with an advanced military and mandatory military service for all young men.
Fast Facts – The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon
- Mercedes-Benz started working on the vehicle that would become the G Wagon in 1972, collaborating with Steyr-Daimler-Puch who had extensive experience building 4x4s.
- The original concept for the G Wagon is credited to the Shah of Iran who was a major Mercedes shareholder at the time.
- Mercedes developed the G Wagon to compete with the likes of the Land Rover, Range Rover, Land Cruiser, and Jeep – targeting both civilian and military buyers.
- The first generation G Wagon was the W460 version and it would remain in production from 1979 until 1992 when it was replaced with the W461.
The Military Spec Mercedes G Wagon 240GD “Wolf”
The “Wolf” version of the G Wagon was specifically developed for use by the military, the model was adopted by over 45 armed forces around the world including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.
The G Wagon is highly regarded for it’s toughness, however jumping it like this is still probably ill-advised unless you’re a fan of spinal compression and dashboard-shaped forehead dents. Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Group Media.
The 240GD version of the Wolf is powered by the 2.4 liter Mercedes OM616 inline-four cylinder diesel engine, power is somewhat limited at just 72 bhp and 101 lb ft of torque though they’re famed for their reliability and longevity – much more important features for military use than outright speed.
Power is sent to all four wheels by way of a 4-speed manual transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, and the W460 rides on coil spring suspension front and back, with telescopic shock absorbers, and live axles.
The key competitor for the Wolf has always been the Land Rover Defender and the two vehicles battled for decades for military contracts. With the recent discontinuation of the original Defender the G Wagon is now a favorite of dozens of militaries worldwide.
The Wolf 240GD G Wagon Shown Here
The Wolf you see here is a 1987 model and as mentioned in the introduction, it was originally deployed with the Singapore Army. During its military service it acquired just 14,500 kilometers (9,010 miles) on the odometer – likely due to limited use and the fact that Singapore itself is just 31 miles long by 17 miles wide.
Thanks to the 2-speed transfer case and locking hubs, the Wolf can climb steep grades – albeit slowly. Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Group Media.
More recently this Wolf was sold as army surplus and bought by a UK owner who imported it into England. Since then they have road registered it with the DVLA and it’s now street legal.
When ordered originally this vehicle was given a locking rear differential, protective headlight grilles, front towing couplings, a trailer hitch hook, a two-bar steering wheel, folding rear seats, a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, front and rear seat belts, and rear load bay storage.
As a military vehicle it’s obviously considerably more spartan than your average civilian 4×4, it has no doors, roof, or windshield after all. But on the plus side it’s a highly-capable off-roader that’ll turn heads wherever it goes.
It’s now being sold out of Keighley in England on Collecting Cars. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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