Motoring book review
MERCEDES-BENZ G-WAGEN – The Essential Buyer’s Guide
By Nik Greene
ISBN: 978 1 787115 14 9
£13.99
Veloce Publishing – www.veloce.co.uk
If you really want a G-Class Merc, rest assured that you will fall into a narrow but surprisingly knowledgeable segment of the market. The newest examples of the Gelaendewagen, or G-Wagen for short, can be acquired through Merc dealers at an astronomical £150,000, or thereabouts, dependent on which model teases you most. I only mention this, because the eminently capable G-Wagen has never been a particularly affordable 4×4, even as a second-hand proposition. Built by the same company that produces the go-anywhere Unimog, it has always carried a price premium over its nearest rivals. Yet, it remains a practical, if different, choice for the serious off-roader. Despite its fairly agricultural stance, with visible door hinges and a square-rigged appearance, it is technologically on-the-money but a G-Wagen can be a total nightmare to live with. Unsurprisingly, rust on examples that might now be over 40 years of age can be an unseen downside that would make ownership a dreadful and time-consuming proposition. It may be a tough and uncompromising 4×4 but it still suffers from all of the wear and tear problems that afflict any vehicle. The author of this handy, 96pp, paperback guide, Nik Greene, is an acknowledged expert in the G-Wagen field, which means that what he does not know about Merc’s indomitable multi-surface vehicle is scarcely worth knowing. Packed with vital hard facts, warts and all advice on acquiring the best examples, deciding which variant best suits your needs and a comprehensive list of ownership ‘fixes’, should ensure that the nightmare scenarios seldom need to rear their ugly heads. Veloce Publishing has created a major series of these guides that cover all makes and models.
