“The G that never went to finishing school: W460 body, W463 running gear, rubber floors and a 24-volt habit. Armies bought it by the thousand, and the few civilians who could get one bought the best tool Mercedes ever made.”
Where it came from, why it matters, and how it changed year to year.
When the G-Class split in two at the end of the 1980s, the W463 got the leather, the wood and the attention. The W461 got the work. It kept the W460's body and chassis, gained the W463's drivetrain, and spent three decades carrying soldiers, medics, foresters and border police where roads give out. It's the G-Class with the luxury removed and the useful parts kept: barn doors, panel vans, cab-chassis trucks, three locking diffs and, on military trucks, a 24-volt electrical system.
Mercedes showed the luxurious W463 in 1989, and W460 production ended in 1991. For buyers who needed a tool rather than a status symbol, the W460 became the W461 in 1990, initially as the 230 GE and 290 GD, and the series was formally introduced in 1992. Wikipedia sums up the formula as the W460's chassis and body with the W463's powertrain, built specifically for militaries, public authorities and NGOs.
The split shows in the details. The W463 got no panel vans and no barn doors; those stayed exclusive to the W461. The W461 kept the narrow body, the plain dash and, on government trucks, 24-volt electrics. Some military trucks carried the 461 designation even earlier: the Argentine Army began using a 'model 461' in 1981.
Mercedes' own timeline lists the Bundeswehr receiving 12,500 'Wolf' G-Wagens under 1992; Wikipedia, which dates deliveries from 1993, puts the total at more than 12,000. Expedition Motor Company, which restores them, describes the 250 GD Wolf as an ex-military W461. By its definition a true Wolf is a two-door convertible with a fold-down windscreen and frameless windows, and it left the factory with a diesel engine.
Other armies joined the pack. Canada ordered 1,159 G-Wagons from late 2003 as its Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled, replacing the VW Iltis, with turreted, non-turreted and military-police versions. The US Marine Corps bought 157 Interim Fast Attack Vehicles based on a modified 290. Norway, Greece and Finland ran Gs from 240 GDs to armoured 270 CDIs. Australia replaced its army Land Rovers with W461s, and a 2010 Australian tender produced a 6×6 version of the 461 range.
The engines started out painfully slow. The 1992 290 GD made 95 PS from a naturally aspirated 2.9-litre five-cylinder and took more than 25 seconds to reach 100 km/h. In 1998 the 290 GD Turbodiesel replaced it, with direct injection, about 120 hp, a driver's airbag and an automatic gearbox only. Common rail arrived with the G 270 CDI in 2001. For 2007 the G 280 CDI brought the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, detuned to 135 kW and 400 Nm so it could cope with poor-quality fuel.
For the G-Class's 30th birthday in 2009, Mercedes sold the W461 to civilians as the G 280 CDI EDITION.30 PUR. It was a long-wheelbase wagon with four hard-wearing seats, rubber floors, drain holes in the footwells, a walk-on bonnet, flexible wheel-arch flares, headlamp grilles and barn doors. It sold well enough to spawn the G 280 CDI Professional in 2009 and the G 300 CDI Professional in 2010, offered as a wagon, panel van, cabriolet and cab-chassis.
Australia, where the army had adopted the W461, got the cab-chassis in 2016 and the wagon in 2017. Civilian production ended in 2019. Military trucks continued until 2022, when the W464 replaced them; Mercedes announced it on 1 October 2021. The W461 is the bridge between the W460 and today's working Gs, and the closest thing to a new W460 anyone could buy in the 2010s.
To demonstrate what the G-Class could do, seven of them set out from Halls Creek to Wiluna along the Canning Stock Route, one of the country's most notorious tracks. On day seven its corrugations broke the shock absorbers on six of them: five civilian G 350s and one military model.
Mercedes-Benz Australia flew replacement shocks to Perth and then by light plane to a remote Aboriginal settlement near Well 33, about 1,000 km from Wiluna. The truck that went to fetch them was the only one still running: a G-Professional, the W461.
What changed, model year by model year. Sweet spot Beware
How it’s built, what it can do, and what fits under it.
Under the plain body the W461 is a W460 chassis carrying W463 running gear. That means a separate ladder frame, coil-sprung solid axles front and rear, and permanent four-wheel drive through a two-speed transfer case with three individually selectable locking differentials. In late G 300 CDI Professional form, the result is a 41:1 crawl ratio and a cab-chassis that can carry more than two tonnes.
| YEARS | PLATFORM | ENGINE | OUTPUT | WORTH KNOWING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | 250 GD 'Wolf' | OM602 2.5 L I5 diesel | 92 PS | Bundeswehr spec. Wikipedia lists it under the W461 |
| 1992–2001 | 230 GE / G 230 | M102 2.3 L I4 | 125 PS | Petrol working G |
| 1992–1997 | 290 GD | OM602 2.9 L I5 diesel | 95 PS | Naturally aspirated; 0–100 km/h in 25–27 s |
| 1998–2001 | 290 GD Turbodiesel | OM602 2.9 L I5 turbodiesel | 120 PS | Direct injection; automatic only |
| 2001–2006 | G 270 CDI | OM612 2.7 L I5 turbodiesel | 156 PS | Common rail. Canada's LUVW used a 2.7 five-cylinder |
| 2007–2014 | G 280 CDI | OM642 3.0 L V6 turbodiesel | 184 PS | Military 'Worker', plus the 2009 EDITION.30 PUR and Professional |
| 2010–2019 (civilian) | G 300 CDI Professional | OM642 3.0 L V6 turbodiesel | 135 kW / 400 Nm | Wagon, van, cabrio and cab-chassis; military trucks built to 2022 |
| LIFT | BIGGEST TIRE | WHAT IT TAKES |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | 235/85R16 (≈32 in) | An Expedition Portal owner runs 235/85R16s on standard steel wheels on a narrow-body G, which is a sensible no-lift ceiling. Beyond that you need lift springs, and bigger tires can trigger ABS/ESP warnings on later trucks. |
Forum consensus, not a guarantee: wheel offset, tire brand and suspension wear all change clearance. Confirm before you buy.
The W461 was the G for armies, authorities and NGOs, built from 1990 until military production ended in 2022.
What to pay, what to check, and how to tell a good one from a clone.
Ex-military Wolfs and Puch 230 GEs have become cult trucks in the US; clean, well-documented examples and sensible turbodiesel conversions sell for the most.
Based on 31 sold Bring a Trailer auctions from January 2025 to October 2026 ($20,500–$116,000, median $54,500). Puch 230 GEs sold for $21,000–64,121 and 250 GD Wolfs for $20,500–116,000. Late Professional-series trucks almost never appear in the US. Prices move; checked October 2026. See live listings below.
Lots of W461s are ex-military trucks, and the line between a late W460 and an early W461 is blurry. Let the chassis number decide, not the seller's description.
The W461 was never sold new in the US, so every American example is a private import. NHTSA allows any vehicle at least 25 years old to be imported, counted from its date of manufacture and declared under Box 1 of the HS-7 form. In late 2026 that means trucks built up to late 2001: Wolfs, 230 GEs, 290 GDs and early 290 GD Turbodiesels. G 270 CDIs and later Professionals aren't eligible yet. Check your state's titling and emissions rules before you bid.
Rules change and vary by state and country. Confirm with your DMV and a licensed importer before you buy.
Baseline service, the repairs you’ll actually do, and where the manuals live.
Ex-fleet and ex-military W461s are often maintained by the book but stored for years, so refresh every fluid and rubber part. Military trucks run 24 V, and glow plugs, bulbs and blower motors must match the system. Specs vary by engine, from the 290 GD to the OM642 CDIs, so confirm capacities and fluid approvals for your VIN.
290 GD and 300 GD-era trucks share filters with their W460/W463 relatives. CDIs use cartridge filters.
Fitting 12 V parts to a 24 V truck, or the reverse, kills them quickly.
The Australian G 300 CDI Professional has a dirty-air-filter warning (WhichCar).
Military trucks may have sat with old diesel. Drain the water separator.
Pressure-test the system and check the radiator and hoses.
The 1998–2001 290 GD Turbodiesel and later trucks are automatic-only.
Full-time dual-range case. Check that the centre lock engages and releases.
Three lockers: test each one after the change.
Handsome Motors advises flushing the hydraulic system first when a lock won't actuate.
Kits differ by axle and year, so check the axle number.
Load-test both batteries and replace them as a pair. Check the 24 V alternator output on military trucks.
Recall for trucks built 4 April 2016 to 13 September 2021 (Autocar).
The jobs owners actually end up doing, rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Always confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, and work safely — support the truck on stands, never just a jack. You do this work at your own risk; see the disclaimer. Some parts links are affiliate links.
The G 300 CDI Professional comes on 265/75R16s, about 31.6 inches. On narrow-body Gs, an Expedition Portal owner runs 235/85R16s (about 32 inches) on the standard steel wheels, which is a sensible no-lift ceiling. Beyond that you're into lift springs: GwagenParts' ROGUE spring listing talks about 33- and 35-inch tires, and warns that bigger tires can trigger ABS and ESP warnings.
SOURCE · 4X4 AUSTRALIA · OWNER REPORTS · GWAGENPARTSThe W461 uses the W460's narrow body and chassis with W463 running gear, plain trim, and barn doors and panel-van bodies you can't get on a W463. Military trucks also have 24-volt electrics. The W463 is the luxury civilian G with wood, leather and more electronics.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIAExpedition Motor Company, which restores them, calls the 250 GD Wolf an ex-military W461, and Wikipedia lists the 1990–91 Wolf in the W461 table. The line between late military W460s and early W461s is blurry, so check the VIN and data card on the truck in front of you.
SOURCE · EXPEDITION MOTOR COMPANY · WIKIPEDIAYes, in limited form. Mercedes sold the G 280 CDI EDITION.30 PUR in 2009, followed by the G 280 CDI Professional (2009) and the G 300 CDI Professional (2010–2019). In Australia the G 300 CDI Professional cab-chassis launched in 2016 at A$119,900, and the wagon followed in 2017 at A$109,900.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIA · WHICHCAR · 4X4 AUSTRALIA4X4 Australia's figures for the G 300 CDI Professional cab-chassis: 2,410 kg kerb weight, 4,490 kg GVM, about 2,080 kg payload and 2,210 kg towing capacity, with a 6,700 kg GCM.
SOURCE · 4X4 AUSTRALIAYes. The G 300 CDI Professional has permanent all-wheel drive with a 50:50 split, a two-speed transfer case and three locking diffs selectable on the move. Unusually, you can unlock the centre diff even in low range.
SOURCE · WHICHCAR · 4X4 AUSTRALIAMilitary W461s do. Wikipedia lists the 24-volt system as one of the W461's defining features, and parts suppliers stock 24 V components such as blower motors. The Australian civilian Professional wagon is described as carrying two 12-volt batteries. Check what your truck actually has before wiring in accessories.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIA · EXPEDITION IMPORTS · WHICHCARFor highway use, the 1998–2001 290 GD Turbodiesel or later: the G 270 CDI (156 PS, 400 Nm) and the OM642 V6 in the G 280/300 CDI (184 PS, 400 Nm). The naturally aspirated 290 GD (95 PS) and the 250 GD Wolf are charming and simple but very slow.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIA · MERCEDES-BENZ96–97 litres on the G 300 CDI Professional, depending on whether you read WhichCar or 4X4 Australia.
SOURCE · WHICHCAR · 4X4 AUSTRALIAIt clears an air pump that's part of the emissions equipment, according to 4X4 Australia. The W460 doesn't have one.
SOURCE · 4X4 AUSTRALIANo. Civilian production ended in 2019, and military production continued until 2022, when the W464 took over. Mercedes announced the W464 on 1 October 2021.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIAWho makes the good stuff, where owners gather, and who to watch.