A long, long time ago, when the acronym “SUV” was unheard of and 4WD cars were rugged work-horses rather than fashionable lifestyle cars, Mercedes-Benz developed its G class. With the “G” referring to the German word “Geländewagen”, off-road vehicle, its envisaged field of application was clearly defined, and the conceptual design of the car was an unambiguous case of form following function. A body-on-frame construction, high ground clearance, very straight lines, plus the use of three fully locking differentials made for a vehicle that was extremely versatile even in difficult terrain. The G class, presented in 1979, was manufactured – in the true sense of the word, mostly by hand – in Austria by the Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and marketed under the Puch name in some countries. Military variants of this very reliable and highly esteemed car were commissioned around the globe. The civilian version remained in production for nearly 4 decades in largely unchanged shape, while the engines grew continually more powerful and the interior became more and more luxurious. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz re-launched an entirely new G class, which is considerably wider and larger than its predecessor, while still retaining its iconic form.