mercedes-benz revisits 1980s G-class with revived edition

A Tribute to Time-Tested Terrain

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s carries with it a sense of place in design history. Reintroduced in 2025 as a strictly limited series of 460 units, this version of the G 550 turns its gaze toward the original W 460 series, recalling an era when off-roading vehicles first met Mercedes refinement. Maintaining a 1980s aesthetic but built with contemporary standards, the model balances nostalgia with precision.

The edition comes dressed in a curated palette of heritage colors that once defined the earliest models. MANUFAKTUR Agave Green, Cream, and Colorado Beige all evoke specific associations — rural terrain, urban dignity, and open horizons. These surface tones are deliberate callbacks to the G-Class’s original cultural and geographic landscapes. Complementing this color story is a full suite of matte black exterior elements, creating a frame for the retro silhouette that feels both familiar and newly confident.

G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s (European model) | images © Mercedes-Benz

Details that Signal Backward and Forward

The brand layers subtle historical gestures into the structure of its Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s. Amber indicator lights hover above the headlights. The Mercedes-Benz star, reinterpreted with the laurel wreath and blue background, reminds the viewer of the vehicle’s design roots. A heritage badge, brushed steel bumpers, and the edition-specific spare wheel cover each extend the narrative of design continuity, where durability meets deliberate styling.

Integrating durable elements from the PROFESSIONAL Line Exterior, the model includes mud flaps, a roof rack for select models, and all-terrain tires that visually reinforce the SUV’s utilitarian DNA. These are not decorative features — they reference the serious functionality that has long defined the G-Class platform. Yet their presence here is choreographed to tell a story about permanence and endurance.

the Mercedes-Benz G-Class STRONGER THAN THE 1980s pays tribute to the original W 460 series

interior Geometry of the Past

Turning inward with equal attention, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s layers its cabin with quiet nods to its earlier self. Dove Grey fabric seat inserts rest within black leather upholstery, an inversion of the overly tactile interiors typical of modern vehicles. These materials draw not only from archival patterns but from the feeling of the G-Class’s earliest ride. The grab handle on the dash bears the edition’s namesake, while a laser-etched rendering of Schöckl mountain on the door sills offers a subtle reminder of the model’s testing ground, still in use today.

The new G-Class Edition makes use of badges sparingly but with intent. A ‘1 of 460’ plaque on the center console serves as more than an inventory marker — it acts as a design device, heightening the sense of narrative ownership. The ‘Schöckl Proved’ badge at the B-pillar, styled like an early G-Class in miniature, cements the connection between the vehicle’s past and its continued performance legacy. These small visual cues ground the vehicle’s presence in something tactile, even intimate.

matte black accents and amber indicators channel the rugged styling of the 1980s