Not everything in the ’80s was neon colored or synthwave-cyberpunky. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, also known as the G-Wagen, was just building momentum as a legendary off-roader back then. And long before it was adopted as the default conveyance for Californian starlets and their wannabes, the Merc G was exclusively dressed for things like safaris and military action. This new limited “Stronger Than The 1980s Editon” gets back to that aesthetic.
Mercedes started throwing around this comically hubristic “Stronger Than Time” tagline a few years ago to celebrate the enduring design of the G. Fair play, though—of all the iconic automobiles that have existed, none have stuck to the same look as consistently as the G-Class. Not the Porsche 911, not the Ford Mustang, not even the Jeep Wrangler have resisted evolution as staunchly as the G. Anyway, if you’re wondering where a name as nonsensical “Stronger Than The 1980s” came from, there you go.
As for this model’s details, it looks almost exactly like the retro-style “500,000th” G-Class that Mercedes rolled out in 2023. The Stronger Than The 1980s Edition is basically just one of three special color options, plaid seats, some decorative lettering on the dashboard, a set of retro wheels, and black exterior trim to remind us of the unpainted plastics of yesteryear. Oh, and a sweet roof rack.
There’s not much to it, but also, it looks great. I wish more automakers would realize that simple designs and subtle but warm colors will always be in style.
Mercedes has stated that 460 worldwide units of this ’80s edition will be shipped, with some hitting “select U.S. dealerships” later this year. I reached out to Mercedes’ people to ask about specifics on availability and pricing and will update this post if they share anything else interesting. The 2025 Mercedes G550 starts at about $150,000 and the Mercedes-AMG G63 is closer to $190,000—I bet this will land somewhere between those two.
It’s wild to me that production will be so low, but I guess it’d be fairly easy to recreate it since, you know, it’s pretty much just a color combo. The reason for 460 units specifically is to call back to “W460,” which was the chassis code for the original G-Wagen that launched in 1979 and ran through much of the 1980s.
You would have been extremely lucky to see a Merc G in the U.S. in the ’80s, or even the ’90s, for that matter. Some were being brought into the country, but only through small importers. They were not readily available at Mercedes dealers until the early ’00s. In fact, the 18-inch five-spoke wheels Mercedes is putting on this Stronger Than The 1980s Edition remind me a lot more of what the G500 was running in the Y2K era. I think Mercedes might be taking a little creative license with its nostalgia play here—a true ’80s G would have had steel wheels like big ol’ dog bowls.
If I were on the shortlist to buy one of these, I’d have a hard time deciding which color to go for—the green, off-white, and light tan are all such safari-casual classics. I think, ultimately, it’d be tan for me, though. Or “Colorado Beige” as Mercedes has named it. The company provided a little description of each color, which I’ll leave you with since somebody took the time to come up with these descriptions.
- MANUFAKTUR Agave Green: The earthy green radiates robustness and closeness to nature and emphasizes the outstanding off-road capability of the G-Class
- MANUFAKTUR Cream: The classic and timeless color exudes a touch of elegance and sophistication and was a popular choice among customers who primarily used the G-Class for city driving
- MANUFAKTUR Colorado Beige: The warm, sandy hue conveys a sense of adventure and freedom and emphasizes the versatile character of the G-Class
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