Mercedes-Benz W31
Mercedes-Benz W31 type G4 | ||
---|---|---|
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.
History
The G4 was a development of the G1, launched in 1926. All had an
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 three exist in original form. A car used during the annexation of
Another is preserved in the Lyon Air Museum.[5]
In 2009, a classic car collector offered three W31s for sale in the U.S. for $9 million.[6] 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.[7]
References
- ^ "Mercedes-Benz G4". Technik Museum Sinsheim. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- ^ a b c "Fully operational again: Mercedes-Benz G4 offroader". Mercedes-Benz Group Media. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- Radio Televisión Española(RTVE) (in Spanish). 6 May 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "1939 MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL G4 OFFENER TOURING WAGON". Lyon Air Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ^ "Three Mercedes-Benz Hitler cars on sale for $9 million". Team-BHP.
- ^ "Three Mercedes-Benz Hitler cars on sale for $9 million". Autoblog. 29 October 2009.
Sources
- Werner Oswald: 1886-1986 Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, motor-Verlag, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-613-01133-6
- ISBN 978-1-52672-679-7.
- Taylor, Blaine (1999). Mercedes Benz Parade and Staff Cars of the Third Reich: An Illustrated History. Conshohocken, PA, USA: Combined Publishing. ISBN 0938289934.
- —————— (2009). Hitler's Chariots. Schiffer Military History Book series. Vol. One: Mercedes-Benz G-4 Cross-Country Touring Car. Atglen, PA, USA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 9780764332364.