The Pick of the Day is a 2003 Mercedes-Benz G500 truck conversion listed by a private seller on ClassicCars.com.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is such a fixture in America’s premium SUV segment that it’s hard to imagine it’s only been here for a little more than 20 years – officially. The beloved box came out in 1979 and went on to transport Pope John Paul II during public appearances, bash its way to an overall victory in the 1983 Paris–Dakar Rally, and serve in various military forces around the world.
Over the years, the Gelandewagen grew more upscale and luxurious while maintaining its rugged capabilities. Its combination of grit and grandeur did not escape the attention of American consumers, but it evaded their reach, at least through authorized dealers. Luckily, outside channels were willing to satisfy their desires. According to GQ, Europa, a company in Santa Fe, New Mexico that provided sales, parts, and service to G-Class vehicles, got the green light from Mercedes in 1993 to legally import and federally certify them for the American market. It wasn’t until 2002 that Mercedes-Benz itself decided to start bringing the G-Wagen to our shores through its dealership network.
The 2003 G-Class was offered in two forms: the base G500 and the high-performance G55 AMG. You may remember neither of those was available as a pickup. That’s because they weren’t. That didn’t stop the ambitious seller, who spent three years turning their G500 into a one-of-one pickup.
As part of the transformation, the body was removed and shortened 26 inches. To accommodate the custom-made bed – complete with wood slats, cargo tie-down channels, storage boxes, and an external rear-mounted spare tire – the frame was stretched by 44 inches. The entire body was refinished in designo (now Manufaktur) Night Black Magno.
More modifications were made lower down to prepare this 53,550-mile rig for hauling cargo and hiking up steep grades. The driveline was customized and the 16-inch beadlock wheels were fitted with BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2s. The seller even went as far as connecting the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 to AMG-esque side-exit exhaust outlets.
Inside, the cabin appears to be standard (as if there’s anything “standard” about a G-Wagen). Black leather covers the seats and is surrounded by wood veneer trim on the door panels, steering wheel, center stack, and center console. A trio of switches for the front, center, and rear locking differentials are mounted in the center of the dashboard; a grab-handle is to the right for the front passenger whenever the trail gets to be too vertical for them.
The G-Class is a special vehicle, but the truth is it’s not exactly rare. In certain parts of the country, such as Beverly Hills, it’s a common sight on the road. Something tells us that no matter where you go in this G500 pickup conversion, you’ll never see another one like it. But if you want to see it in your driveway, it’ll take $99,000.
Check out the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
Source: www.classiccars.com