Mercedes-Benz W31

Last updated
Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4
Mercedes Benz G4 1938 b.jpg
A G4 on display at the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, 2008
Overview
Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz
Production
  • 1934–1939
  • 57 produced
Body and chassis
Class Off-road vehicle
Body style
  • 4-door touring car
  • Limousine
Powertrain
Engine
  • 5.0L M24 I8 (1934–1936)
  • 5.3L M24 I8 (1937)
  • 5.4L M24-II I8 (1938–1939)
Transmission 4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 4,050 mm (159 in)
Length5,920 mm (233 in)
Width1,870 mm (74 in)
Height1,900 mm (75 in)
Curb weight 3,700 kg (8,157 lb)

The Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 was a German three-axle off-road vehicle first produced by Mercedes-Benz as a staff/command car for the Wehrmacht in 1934. The cars were designed as a seven-seat touring car or closed saloon, and were mainly used by upper echelons of the Nazi regime in parades and inspections, as they were deemed too expensive for general Army use.

Contents

History

Adolf Hitler in G4 at his visit to Brno, 17 March 1939 Adolf Hitler in Brno, 1939 (cropped).jpg
Adolf Hitler in G4 at his visit to Brno, 17 March 1939
Mercedes Benz G-4 (1938) side view Voiture d'Adolphe Hitler.jpg
Mercedes Benz G-4 (1938) side view

The G4 was a development of the G1, launched in 1926. All had an 8-cylinder inline engine, in the first three years of 5018 cc (306.2 cu in) displacement delivering 100 PS (74 kW). It was a 6×4 configuration with four-speed transmission (synchronised upper gears) that transferred drive to all four rear wheels via self-locking differentials, the front wheels did not drive. The rear wheels were attached to two rigid axles 950 millimetres (37 in) apart, which were suspended in joint semi-elliptic leaf springs. The front axle was rigid with semi-elliptic springs. All six wheels had hydraulic brakes with servo assistance. The top speed was only 67 km/h (42 mph), limited by the type of all-terrain tyres. Only 11 of these vehicles were delivered to the Wehrmacht. The car used an elongated box-section frame that allowed for generous interior room. Comfortable seating for up to seven was provided by benches (front and rear) and one middle row of two with separate arm rests. The vehicles were first delivered to the SS for use by Hitler and his adjutants painted with gloss gray bodies over gloss black fenders and running boards but, by the end of the war, they had all received anti-reflective matte and/or camouflage finishes in accordance with their military purpose. Many G4 vehicles belonging to the highest-ranking party members also featured rear-facing spotlights to be used to temporarily blind unauthorized drivers who followed too closely.

From 1937 a more powerful engine of 5252 cc (320.5 cu in) and 115 PS (85 kW) was used. The performance remained the same. Between 1937 and 1938 16 cars were built.

From 1938 a larger powerplant of 5401 cc (329.6 cu in) and 110 PS (81 kW) was used. Vehicles of this model were used by Adolf Hitler and his staff in parades marking the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland. Thirty cars of this model were built, ending in 1939.

Today

Of the 57 cars produced, at least four exist in original form:

A car used during the annexation of Czechoslovakia and Austria before the war is preserved at the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum. After World War II, this vehicle was first converted to a fire engine, before finally being restored and donated to the museum. [1]

Another G4, originally a gift from Hitler to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, is in the car collection of the Spanish Royal Guard, displayed in the "Sala Histórica de la Guardia Real" located in the quarterings of El Pardo. [2] [3] [4] It was restored by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Germany on behalf of Mercedes-Benz Spain as a gift to the royal family. [2] This car featured an illuminated Virgin Mary medallion set within the dash board. [2]

A third was used post-war in Hollywood, it was originally found by Paramount Pictures abandoned at Rastenberg where it had been part of Hitler's fleet transport and after it was brought to the USA it was painted overall grey for movie work. It appears in the opening credits and some scenes of the TV series Hogan's Heroes , usually as the staff car of Leon Askin's "General Burkhalter" character. It appeared in many other Hollywood films, mainly war movies. [5] Sometime later it was sold at auction and is now in the hands of the Kevin Wheatcroft Collection in the UK. It has been stripped and fully restored to as new condition, painted blue and black. [6]

Mercedes Benz G4 - Lyon Air Museum - Santa Ana, California Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 - Lyon Air Museum - Santa Ana, Californie (cropped).jpg
Mercedes Benz G4 - Lyon Air Museum - Santa Ana, California

Another is preserved in the Lyon Air Museum. [7]

In 2009, a classic car collector offered three W31s for sale in the U.S. for $9 million. [8] With unproven ties to Adolf Hitler, they included a blue convertible and a grey Wehrmacht W31 with closed cab. A special feature of the convertible was that the front passenger seat could be folded up, making it possible to stand upright in the car. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Kübelwagen</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen, or simply Kübel, contractions of the original German word Kübelsitzwagen, is a military light utility vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the Nazi German military. Based heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle, it was prototyped and first deployed in Poland as the Type 62, but following improvements entered full-scale production as the Type 82. Several derivative models, such as the Kommandeurswagen, were also built in hundreds, or in dozens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz 300 SL</span> Mercedes gullwinged coupé/roadster (1954–1963)

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1954 to 1957 as a gullwinged coupé and from 1957 to 1963 as a roadster. The 300 SL traces its origins to the company's 1952 racing car, the W194, and was equipped with a mechanical direct fuel injection system that significantly increased the power output of its three-liter overhead camshaft straight-six engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class (C209)</span> Motor vehicle

The C209/A209 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is the second generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class range of grand tourers, produced between 2001 and 2009. There were two body styles available: a 2-door coupé (C209) and a 2-door convertible (A209). The latter being assembled at the Karmann plant in Osnabrück. It was also the last complete car made by Karmann before closing the facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107</span> Mercedes-Benz from 1971 through 1989

The Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 are sports cars which were produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1971 until 1989, being the second longest single series ever produced by the automaker after the G-Class. They were sold under the SL (R107) and SLC (C107) model names in a variety of names indicating the displacement of the engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (R129)</span> Roadster which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1989 until 2001.

The Mercedes-Benz R129 SL is a roadster which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1988 until 2001. The R129 replaced the R107 in 1989 and was in its turn replaced by the R230 SL-Class in 2002 for the 2003 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen</span> Late 1930s experimental high-speed automobile

The Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen was an experimental, high-speed automobile produced in the late 1930s. The streamlined car was derived from the 1937 open-wheel race car Mercedes-Benz W125 Formel-Rennwagen, of which also a streamlined version was raced at the non-championship Avusrennen in Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W189</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W189 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1957 and 1962. It was the company's flagship model at the time, equivalent to the modern S-Class and Maybach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W186</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W186 Model 300 was a four-door luxury sedan produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1957. It was the company's flagship model at the time, succeeding the World War II era W150. Three versions were produced in succession, known informally as the 300a, 300b, and 300c. An enlarged "300d" variant built on the W189 chassis succeeded it in late 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W136</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W136 was Mercedes-Benz's main line of inline-four cylinder motorcars from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. The model 170 V made its public debut as successor to the W15 Typ 170 in February 1936. Between 1936 and 1939 it was Mercedes' top selling model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benz Patent-Motorwagen</span> First modern automobile

The Benz Patent-Motorwagen, built in 1885 by the German Karl Benz, is widely regarded as the first practical modern automobile and was the first car put into production. It was patented in January 1886 and unveiled in public later that year. The original cost of the vehicle was 600 imperial German marks, approximately 150 US dollars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz T80</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz T80 was a six-wheeled vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz, developed and designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the late 1930s. It was intended to break the world land speed record, but never made the attempt, due to the project having been overtaken by the outbreak of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz 770</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes, was a large luxury car built by Mercedes-Benz from 1930 until 1944. The second model (W150) is best known from its use by high-ranking officials of Nazi Germany and their allies before and during World War II, including Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, Ion Antonescu, Gustaf Mannerheim, and Benito Mussolini, many of which were captured in archival footage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz L3000</span> German WWII truck

The Mercedes-Benz L3000 was a 4x2 3-tonne rear axle drive truck used by Nazi Germany in World War II, powered by a Daimler-Benz OM 65/4 74 hp 4-cylinder diesel engine. It was used alongside the Opel Blitz, and proved even more reliable in rough terrain; and was used in all fronts and extensively by the Afrika Korps. It was manufactured in three versions, the L3000, the L3000A, and the L3000S, from 1938 to 1944. When production was discontinued, more than 27,700 L3000 type trucks had been built, making it the most produced Mercedes-Benz truck of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz 130</span> Model of car produced by Mercedez-Benz

From 1931 to 1939, Daimler-Benz AG produced three cars with rear engine as well as a few prototypes. Production numbers remained low for each of these models, especially compared with the production of conventional front-engine Mercedes-Benz cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W10</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W10 was a touring car produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1929 to 1934, replacing the W03/Typ 350 models. The structure originated by Ferdinand Porsche was modified by Hans Nibel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz 540K</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz 540K (W29) is a grand touring car built by the German firm Mercedes-Benz between 1936 and 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz NG</span> Motor vehicle

The "New Generation“ is a series of trucks by Daimler-Benz built from 1973 to 1988. It was then replaced by the Mercedes-Benz SK series. With the "New Generation", Daimler-Benz expanded its market position in the medium and heavy truck segments. Its cab was also used by Mercedes-Benz of North America, who confusingly offered it with inline-six or -five engines as the LP series beginning in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W142</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W 142 was a six-cylinder passenger car launched in February 1937, as a successor to the Mercedes-Benz Typ 290. The car was known by its name Typ 320 at the time of its production and service, but is in retrospect commonly referred to using its Mercedes-Benz works number, "W142", which gives a more unambiguous, unique nomenclature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unimog 404</span> German truck by Mercedes-Benz (1955–1980)

The Unimog 404, also called the Unimog S and Unimog 404 S, is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz, produced in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau from 1955 to 1980. Marketed as Unimog U82, and later Unimog U110, 64,242 units of the two Unimog 404 types 404.0 and 404.1 were built, which makes the 404 the Unimog model with the highest production figure of all Unimogs. Unlike the Unimog 401, the 404 is rather a small 1.5-tonne-offroad-truck than an agricultural vehicle. In Germany, it was a common military vehicle and fire engine, 36,000 Unimog 404 were made for the Bundeswehr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unimog 70200</span> German tractor

The Unimog 70200 is the first series production model of the Unimog series, made by Gebr. Boehringer. It was manufactured in Boehringer's Göppingen plant from June 1948 to April 1951. In total, 600 units of the 70200 were made. Manufacture of the Unimog was sold to Daimler-Benz in October 1950, where it was modified for mass production. The mass-production optimised Unimog is known as Unimog 2010.

References

  1. "Mercedes-Benz G4". Technik Museum Sinsheim. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  2. 1 2 3 "Fully operational again: Mercedes-Benz G4 offroader". Mercedes-Benz Group Media. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  3. "Crónicas - Historias en el retrovisor". Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) (in Spanish). 6 May 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  4. Luque, José Carlos (24 September 2019). "El Mercedes G4 de Franco: Una joya de seis ruedas patrimonio nacional". Car and Driver (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  5. "IMCDb.org: Mercedes-Benz W31 in movies and TV series". www.imcdb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  6. "Mercedes-Benz G4 in "Hogan's Heroes"". IMCDb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  7. "1939 MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL G4 OFFENER TOURING WAGON". Lyon Air Museum. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  8. "Three Mercedes-Benz Hitler cars on sale for $9 million". Team-BHP.
  9. "Three Mercedes-Benz Hitler cars on sale for $9 million". Autoblog. 29 October 2009.

Sources