By Gabriel Ionica Autoblog
A callback to simpler times
If you've longed for the G-Wagens of the 1980s but wished they had modern amenities on the interior, Mercedes-Benz has heard your pleas. The German automaker recently announced the extremely awkwardly named "Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition: STRONGER THAN THE 1980s," drawing visual inspiration from the W460 generation that debuted in 1979. And yes, the model name is officially in all caps.
Ample of vintage touches set this G-Wagen apart from the crowd
It doesn't take more than a single glance to see that Mercedes-Benz went all-out with the STRONGER THAN THE 1980s G-Wagen, or STT1980, as I'll call it for this article. Based on the 2025 G 550, the off-roader can be draped in three colors, all of which are distinctively vintage and call back to the model's capabilities as both a dirt dominator and a city cruiser. MANUFAKTUR Agave Green is your earthy, nature-y shade, MANUFAKTUR Cream is for the suburbanite who enjoys mall crawling as much as rock crawling, and MANUFAKTUR Colorado Beige is a sandy tone that "conveys a sense of adventure and freedom and emphasizes the versatile character of the G-Class."
The turn signals above the headlights make a prominent return on the STT1980 alongside a front fascia with vintage touches a radiator grille with horizontal slats, grilled brush guards around the headlights, a rugged underguard for the sensitive bits, squared-off front and rear bumpers, side sills, and flared wheel arches. All of these details, as well as the mirrors, are finished in MANUFAKTUR Night Black Magno to reflect the rugged look of the first G-Wagen. The 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels in silver resembled those of the W460 as well.
Apart from the regular Mercedes-Benz star on the grille, the the STT1980 also sees the return of the historic Mercedes-Benz badge with the laurel wreath and lettering on a blue background. A silver "Mercedes-Benz" brand badge adorns the tailgate as well, right next to the model-specific spare wheel cover. Other bespoek design elements include the MANUFAKTUR Logo Package in black, with black door handles and an embossed "G" logo, as well as a projection below the mirrors that displays "G – STRONGER THAN TIME" on the ground. My favorite touch is the return of the "Schöckl Proved" badge at the base of the B-pillar, which G-Wagens of yore would display to signify that they completed the rigorous test track on the Schöckl mountain near Graz, Austria.
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A rather disappointing cabin
The interior is unfortunately largely unchanged from the regular G 550, with a rather dull black color scheme that lets down the fun exterior colors. A few details do remind you that you're sitting in something more special though, including vintage Dove Gray fabric seat inserts, "STRONGER THAN THE 1980s" on the front passenger grab handle, and the topography of Schöckl mountain on the front door sill panels. A "1 of 460" badge also adorns the center console.
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Final thoughts
I'm all for vintage editions of modern cars, and Mercedes-Benz did a tremendous job with the STRONGER THAN THE 1980s edition of the G-Wagen. The interior is a little on the disappointing side considering how much effort went into turning the exterior into a time capsule, but that's not something that can't be fixed with aftermarket accessories.
While Mercedes-Benz has not announced a price tag for the STT1980, the fact that it's limited to a mere 460 units means that it won't be an easy task to acquire one, if all of them aren't already spoken for. Still, hopefully this inspires more automakers to create special editions that hark back to one of their classic models. Just look at what Hyundai did with the Pony and Grandeur!
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This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 9:00 PM.
