SUV Superbuild - Mercedes G Class

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Mon, 10/02/2020 - 01:09
gooch
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Anyone catch this today on SKY ?

1 Hour of G -Class bliss 

S1 Episode 3

 

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Mon, 10/02/2020 - 15:25
#1
Jdring
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Re: SUV Superbuild - Mercedes G Class

I saw this on Quest a while back.

Short discussion on it here: http://www.gwoa.co.uk/content/mercedes-tv-programme-suv-superbuild 

Just need a link to a YouTube or something (probably not there)

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Mon, 10/02/2020 - 20:53
#2
Jdring
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Re: SUV Superbuild - Mercedes G Class
Actually it is: https://youtu.be/OaFbCb1EdRA A good clip. And you can watch the whole episode by catchup on questtv.co.uk By rights, it could have failed because the original order of 20k units placed by the Shah never happened by the time 1979 came. I also love the way the technicians in Graz are referred to as 'crafts persons' as they hand build every one.
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Thu, 19/08/2021 - 08:37
#3
Theo
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Re: SUV Superbuild - Mercedes G Class

That is the version of the Mercedes Benz PR department.  The Schah of Persia always added some glamour. 

Here is my understanding of the G’s history:  In the 60s Steyr-Puch produced two vehicles for the military (with some use for hunting and forestry): the Haflinger and the Pinzgauer. Whilst the Pinzgauer remained a competitive vehicle, the Haflinger started to lose customers and needed a successor. At the same time, Mercedes Benz struggled to sell the Unimog to the military (the Pinzgauer was deemed superior for this purpose) and considered developing a new vehicle going into co-operation with Steyr-Puch. Within Steyr-Puch the G development program was known as Haflinger-II. The G dimensions (narrow and high body) were driven by military specifications. 

However, Volkswagen (actually Audi) developed the Iltis in parallel and the German military placed an order for the Iltis not the G in the late 70s.  VW/ Audi not just won the military order but the Iltis development program inspired the Audi Quattro which was launched in 1980.  

About ten years later the G won the order for the next generation military vehicle. What saved our iconic G was the start of the SUV trend, the Range Rover had been launched in 1970 and had become increasingly popular.

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