How many Mercedes Benz W31Type G4 were produced?

This blog will answer the following questions: how many Mercedes Benz W 31 type G4 were produced? What was the use of the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4? What are the technical specifications of the W31 type G4? Can you still buy a Mercedes Benz W31 type G4?

How many Mercedes Benz W31Type G4 were produced?

Mercedes Benz produced 57 units of the W31 type G4 model and currently, there are at least 3 models preserved in their original condition. Two W31 G4s are displayed in museums in Germany and Spain while the third model is in America, it is seen in many Hollywood movies. In 2009, three more W31 G4s surfaced which were sold by a classic car collector in the USA. two models were convertible and one of them had a closed cab body.

The convertible W31G4 had ties with Adolf Hitler and it even had a foldable front seat so the passenger could easily stand. Mercedes Benz produced the W31 type G3 from 1934-1939 and all of the W31 G 4 models were based on the G1 truck chassis.

It was used by many high-ranking staff officers of the German Military and came with rear-facing spotlights. If any unauthorized vehicle was observed to be chasing the W31 type G4, the rear spotlights were used to temporarily blind the pursuers.

The body of the W31 G4 was also heavily reinforced with a steel shield. The front windshield also came with bulletproof glass. Mercedes Benz also designed storage space in the cabin for weapons and as the W31 type G4 is based on a truck chassis it has great off-road capabilities.

The original cost of the W31 type G4 was estimated to be around 3 million dollars so only the upper echelons of the German military could buy it. Before World War II, the W31 type G4 can be ordered in a variety of colors but after the war, almost all of them were colored in matt Gray or camouflage pattern.

What was the use of the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4?

The Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 was used as an inspection and personal transport vehicle by the high-ranking commanders in the Wehrmacht. Adolf Hitler also used a W31 type G4 in a matt gray color in the parades; the front seat could be folded so that he could easily stand in the front passenger area.

The W31 type G4 was a very expensive car so it was never deployed in the war although it had great off-road capabilities. The car was flown overseas to countries like North Africa so that SS generals could use it as an offroad escort vehicle.

The seating capacity of the W31 type G4 is 7 passengers and it was manufactured in a convertible as well as a closed cab body style. The top speed is restricted to only 42 mph so it was not used in the general German military.

The production of the W31 type G4 was stopped by the German military in 1939 as the production was simply too high. The focus shifted over to other military vehicles like Mercedes-Benz 770, L3000, and L4500.

Mercedes Benz also increased the production of armaments and the trucks as well as aircraft engines like the DB 600 and DB 601. Production of passenger cars for civilian use was almost non-existent. Mercedes Benz also opened a new factory in Genshagen located south of Berlin in 1936 for the production of aircraft engines.

Therefore, the W31 type G4 car is considered extremely rare, only 3 models are restored in their original condition. Additional units still exist but there is no proof of their originality as the chassis was made from the G1 truck platform.

What are the technical specifications of the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4?

The technical specifications of the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 are as follows:

Engine

The Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 was powered by an inline 8 cylinder M24 petrol engine. In the initial models produced between 1934-1937, the displacement of the engine was 5.0-5.3 liters, and later until the production of the W31 G4 ended, it used a 5.4-liter M24-II engine.

The 5.4-liter version of the M24 is the most powerful engine in the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4. However, the top speed of all the models was limited to 42 mph or around 68 km/hr. The M24 had a roots-type supercharger inspired by the engines used in the aircraft. The air is compressed by the supercharger and a carburetor injected the fuel into the compressed air.

The M24 used double overhead camshafts with two valves per cylinder and the compression ratio was around 5.2:1-5.5-1. As the position stroke was larger than the bore, the over-square engine produced a maximum torque of 282 Nm at 1400 rpm.

Transmission 

The inline 8-cylinder engine was connected to a 4-speed manual transmission. Only the upper gears had synchronizer rings so the upshifts were very quick and the shift quality was also very smooth.

The transmission used in the Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 was also called the first modern manual transmission. It used helical gears which produced less noise in operation. Only the first and the reverse gears used the traditional spur gear.

The fourth gear acted as overdrive and the third gear ratio was 1:1. The same manual transmission was also used in the Maybach so it had optimum drivability and very low operation noise.

Chassis 

The Mercedes Benz W31 type G4 was based on the G1 truck chassis. It is a body-on-frame construction. There are two live axles in the rear and the front is a dead axle. The power from the manual transmission is transferred to all four rear wheels through a self-locking differential.

The suspension consisted of a semi-elliptical leaf spring and the rear axles were suspended in the leaf springs. The front dead axle also used a semi-elliptical leaf spring setup. The front and rear tracks are 1621/1570 mm respectively.

Overall, the Mercedes W31 type G4 has a very imposing stature. In the closed cab bodystyle the height is more than 6 ft and the vehicle is 19.4 ft long. The length is further accentuated by the two cursed fenders of the front wheels that are across the length of the long engine compartment.

Conclusion

This blog provides information on the production and the purpose of the Mercedes Benz W 31 type 4 model. The technical specifications are also explained, W31 type 4 is the first passenger car with 6 wheels. The only other passenger model with that many wheels is the 2015 G63 6X6 AMG.