In the world of modern motoring, few silhouettes are as instantly recognisable, or as brutally charismatic as the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. But before the G63s began prowling Knightsbridge and Dubai shopping malls, and before AMG became a byword for ballistic SUVs, there was the G36 AMG. This rare, restrained, and cooler-than-cool model is exactly what made us all fall in love with the G-Wagon in the first place. Now this authentically-eccentric example is heading to Broad Arrow Auction’s Monterey sale, not for multiple hundreds of thousands like its drop-top, G55-badged sibling, but for a figure estimated at around 60,000 dollars. Have we just found the bargain of the century?

Before we get too carried away, though, let’s talk history. The G-Wagon’s life began in 1979, not as a luxury status symbol, but as a utilitarian off-roader developed for military use. As the 1980s rolled by, so too did the wealthy customers who also happened to be die hard Mercedes-Benz fans, and quickly saw the potential in the boxy off-roader. From the Middle East to mainland Europe, the demand for luxurious versions was mounting, cloth seats were replaced with plush leather, as well as wood trim, automatic gearboxes and road-going tyres. The demand was there, yet Mercedes-Benz were reluctant to bring their trusty off-roader entirely off the dirt and into the high streets, but while they were pondering, AMG car phones had been ringing off the hook, with multiple wealthy clients asking if they could do something special with the G-Wagon. Needless to say, the answer was inevitable.

1993 would see the first ever Mercedes-Benz G36 AMG, but not as the car you see before you. Based on the long-wheelbase W463 chassis, the G36 was a bespoke creation that blended factory cooperation and aftermarket obsession. Under the bonnet sat a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre inline-six, the same engine that would be used in the C36 AMG, the first post-merger car for Mercedes-Benz and AMG. 

Only around 120 examples of the G36 AMG were ever built between 1993 and 1997, making it one of the rarest pre-merger AMG models, with almost all being sold and shipped to Japan. This example also found its way to Japan from new, but was ordered in left-hand drive as a subtle symbol of wealth, and is finished in Brilliant Silver Metallic with a black leather interior. Burl Walnut accents also fill the luxurious cabin, while this example was also specced with a sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, running boards, side-exit exhaust tips, and heated power-adjustable seats. Now showing just over 83,700 miles on the odometer, as with almost every G-Wagon, there’s plenty of adventures left to be had in this style icon!

With value of pre and post-merger AMGs showing no signs of slowing, especially in the case of the SWB cabriolet variants of the G-Wagons, which are now comfortably in the six-figure ballpark, this incredibly rare yet effortlessly usable head turner is something of a motoring bargain. In many ways, it laid the blueprint for everything that followed, from the V8-powered G55 to the thunderous twin-turbo G63s of more recent years, and so we’ll be keeping a very close eye on it as it heads to Broad Arrow Auction’s upcoming sale in Monterey on August 13th, where it has an estimate of just 60,000 to 80,000 dollars!

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