A 1979 G-Class preserved forever inside 52 tons of amber resin becomes an automotive fossil
Published on Dec 28, 2025 at 6:44 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jan 09, 2026 at 4:35 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Mercedes-Benz once encased a 1979 G-Class 280 GE in amber in a creative tribute to mark the history and heritage of the G-Wagen.
Mercedes is no stranger to pulling off an elaborate stunt to showcase its vehicles.
Like the time it displayed the mind-boggling stopping power of one of its 20-ton trucks.
But years before that, the carmaker decided to honor the iconic G-Class in a rather unusual way.
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The giant project took almost 9,000 hours to complete
The first G-Wagen was released in 1979 and was initially developed as a military off-roader.
Almost 40 years later, in 2018, the German automaker was set to unveil the all-new G-Class.
But not quite content with launching a new vehicle, Mercedes also created a unique talking point by encasing a 1979 G-Glass 280 GE in more than 10,700 gallons of amber-colored liquid resin.
The project took a staggering 8,892 hours to complete and was given the slogan, ‘Stronger than time’.
The team started with a giant square frame, before carefully lowering in the 1979 G-Class and placing it at a dynamic angle to give the impression it was off-roading.
Gallons of resin were then poured in and allowed to set as a solid before the frame could be removed.
“The amber cube puts the uniqueness of the G-Class in a nutshell”, Mercedes-Benz Head of the Off-Road Vehicle production unit Dr Gunnar Güthenke said at the time.
“Our cult off-road vehicle has been continuously evolving for nearly 40 years – without losing its character or its core values. Its DNA is stronger than time and than any fashion trend.
“The cube expresses this to stunning effect and thus embodies the objective for advancing the G-Class.”
After it was showcased at the Detroit Motor Show, the cube was taken on a tour around the world.
It’s not Mercedes’ first big stunt with a G-Class
Just one year on from the unveiling of the giant amber cube, Mercedes marked 40 years of the G-Wagen by putting on a nail-biting stunt.
The marque sent a G-Wagen out to Punta Negra dam in Argentina where it drove along the 330-foot high wall that features a near-vertical drop.
Mercedes said it took on the challenge to show that the vehicle is ‘stronger than gravity,’ and after seeing footage of the stunt, it’s hard to disagree.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
