Mercedes-Benz G4 (1934 - 1939) - a luxury army all-terrain vehicle for the elite of the Third Reich

31 August 2016

Since the mid-1920s, the German command began to think about vehicles suitable for use in military conditions. In 1925, the German Ministry of Transport and the Army Motorization Inspectorate announced a tender for the development of a three-axle command all-terrain vehicle with a payload of 750 kg. Three German companies took part in the competition for the project of a promising SUV: Daimler-Benz, Horch and Selve.

Concept development: 1926

The first experimental samples were manufactured by 1926, after which tests were carried out. There is a version that tests of German vehicles were carried out on the territory of the Soviet Union, because At that time, Germany was subject to restrictions on the development of military equipment. Whether it was like this or not doesn’t really matter, because the Weimar German Republic in those years was a peaceful democratic state, and Hitler had just been released from prison, where he spent 9 months for organizing the “Beer Hall Putsch”... he came to power only in 1933. So, lovers of the version that “the fascist sword was forged in the USSR,” and any other nonsense by traitorous authors like Rezun-Suvorov, please calm down. Moreover, within the framework of this site, we are only interested in technology.

Mercedes-Benz G4. Rear bogie G4 - the photo shows springs arranged in pairs at the top and bottom

So, Daimler-Benz participated in the competition with its 3-axle all-terrain vehicle G1 W103. The all-terrain vehicle, as it turned out later, did not win the competition, but the experience gained during its development turned out to be very useful in the design of subsequent 3-axle designs. The letter “G” in the name of Mercedes-Benz cars meant “Gelaendegaengig” (i.e. “intended for off-road driving”).

The design of the 3-axle Mercedes-Benz all-terrain vehicles provided for a longitudinal arrangement of the engine in the front part of the body, from which torque was transmitted to the driving rear “trolley”. At the same time, drive was not provided for the front wheels due to the lack of more or less reliable hinges that could ensure the wheels rotate at a sufficiently large angle. For this reason, the 6x6 scheme turned out to be not the most reliable - all attempts to create such a car in the 1920s failed. At the same time, a 3-axle 6x4 layout with a range of multipliers seemed to be the simplest and cheapest way to increase cross-country ability, even despite the increase in vehicle weight. For this reason, both Horch and Daimler-Benz chose this scheme.

Based on the experience gained during the design of the Mercedes-Benz G1, the 6-cylinder G3 trucks were developed in 1928, which were produced from 1929 to 1935. In March 1931, Daimler-Benz management considered the possibility of creating a multi-passenger all-terrain vehicle based on a 3-axle truck.

Light army all-terrain vehicle Mercedes-Benz G4 W31, 1934

So, in 1931, it was decided to develop a new multi-seat military command SUV. The work on creating a promising car was led by Hans Nibel, the technical director of the Daimler-Benz concern (who took this post instead of Dr. F. Porsche in 1928).

Soon the task was completed - in 1934 the Mercedes-Benz G4 appeared, receiving the factory index W31.

The Mercedes-Benz G4 had an overweight rear end, which is why it often buried itself in the ground. Adolf Hitler's stuck G4.

In general, the design developed in 1926 for the G1 prototype was retained, including the rear balance bogie. The rear bogie suspension consisted of semi-elliptical springs located in pairs above and below the balancer axis, the ends of which rested on the rear axles. The springs, depending on the payload set by the factory, could consist of a different number of sheets: 9 sheets corresponded to a load of 800–1148 kg, 10 sheets - 1336 kg and 12 - 1724 kg. The latter were used on armored versions of the car. The rear suspension was equipped with powerful single-acting “Komet Mone” lever shock absorbers and stabilizers. The front (non-driving) axle had double-acting “Boge” shock absorbers. It should be noted that unlike the G3 series trucks, all G4 all-terrain vehicles had 17-inch single wheels.

The first batch of G4 series cars, produced from 1934 to 1936, were equipped with an in-line 8-cylinder M24 engine with a displacement of 5.0 liters and a power of 100 hp/3400 rpm. Similar power units were used on passenger cars. The gearbox was a 4-speed mechanical type ZF Aphon G35 (third and fourth gears are synchronized) with a range multiplier (downshift number 3.06). The rotation of the rear axle was carried out through cardan shafts with open cardan joints. At the same time, the middle axle was a through bridge, and the main gears had a worm-type design. The rear axles of the G series cars were equipped with self-locking differentials.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini at G4

There is an opinion that there were also all-wheel drive modifications of the G4, but no documents or drawings were found in which the 6x6 versions were presented. Moreover, Daimler-Benz itself did not report how many all-wheel drive vehicles were produced. Meanwhile, it is known for sure that a total of 57 Mercedes-Benz G4s were produced in various modifications.

1937: modernization of G4 W131

In 1937, the G4 engine was modified, increasing its displacement to 5.3 liters, which made it possible to remove 115 hp/3400 rpm from it. In accordance with the three-digit designation system adopted by that time at the plant, this car received the index W131, and the engine - M124.

And finally, the last modernization of the car took place in 1938, when under their hoods there were 5.4-liter engines of the M124 II type with a power of 110 hp. Note that it was the same old engine, but with an increased displacement, borrowed from a passenger car (Mercedes-Benz500 and 540). As it turned out later, it was not suitable for all-terrain vehicles and often suffered from overheating. If the problem of oil overheating was partially eliminated by increasing the volume of the engine crankcase, the German engineers did not overcome the excessive load of the power unit. On top of that, when climbing steep climbs the engine began to run out of fuel - this happened regardless of the fact that the main mechanical fuel pump Jumo LvO 760 was assisted by two electric Petrolifts. Taken together, all these shortcomings led to frequent engine breakdowns. The car was equipped with a 140-liter fuel tank, because the all-terrain vehicle consumed 30-40 liters of gasoline per 100 km. The car's speed was limited to 67 km/h, which was explained by its large mass (about 3.5 tons) and limited tire capabilities.

Anschluss of Austria on March 12, 1938. Adolf Hitler and Mercedes-Benz G4 on the streets of Vienna.

Despite its military and all-terrain purpose, the off-road qualities of this heavy vehicle left much to be desired. On soil with low load-bearing capacity, the G4 quickly buried itself with its overweight rear end.

Luxury SUV for the party and military elite of the Third Reich

The German armed forces refused to accept the G4 - it turned out to be too “gluttonous” and expensive, which was unacceptable for the army. However, the three-axle Mercedes attracted the attention of the Nazi bosses and soon began to be used by the highest hierarchs of the Third Reich for a variety of purposes.

The G4 became a vehicle exclusively for the top leadership of the state, party bosses and military command. Naturally, Adolf Hitler also enjoyed using these machines, because... was a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz brand.

This model harmoniously combined the luxury of an executive limousine and army body design, which undoubtedly benefited Hitler’s image as the country’s military leader. In G4, Hitler triumphantly arrived in occupied Vienna and accepted the surrender of French troops at Compiegne on June 21, 1940. In addition, he used this car when he visited military maneuvers and areas where hostilities were taking place.

After the assassination of Gauleiter Heydrich of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in Czechoslovakia in early 1942, most G4s received armor and bulletproof tires.

It must be said that only three of the 57 Mercedes-Benz G4s produced have survived to this day in their original form. Hitler gave one of these 1939 cars to the Spanish General Franco after his victory in the Civil War. After Franco's regime fell in 1975 following his death, the car ended up in the garage of the Spanish king. In September 2001, it was transferred to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach, where the all-terrain vehicle was completely restored.

Another surviving car went to the French restorer Andre Lecoq, and from him to a collector from the USA. The third car also ended up in the USA immediately after the war, where it was exhibited at the Imperial Palace museum for many years.