2001 Mercedes-Benz G 300 Convertible

The G you are looking at here is a W463 and therefore the more luxurious second generation G-Wagen (first gen G-Class) in two-door cabriolet form, and is powered by an inline 6-cylinder 2996cc turbodiesel engine (one of the best engines they made). When new it delivered 174bhp and 243lb.ft of torque through the 5-speed automatic transmission and permanent four-wheel-drive.

Recorded by the DVLA as first registered abroad in 2001, this left-hand-drive G actually came out of the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria (where all the Gs were made) in September 2000. 

It was believed to be first supplied into France where it remained until late 2004 when it was imported to the UK by G-Wagen Ltd of Reading and re-registered. Although the speedo itself reads in km/h, the digital odometer units have recently been changed to miles (a user setting) - it therefore now shows around 65,000 miles (104,000km).

The car’s most recent owner, believed to be the second since being in the UK, had the car for about 10 years and for most of that time he kept it in a garage at his second home in Cannes, putting very little miles (or kilometers) on it. Now passed into the trade, the minor MOT issues have been addressed and the car is looking for a lucky new owner. 

The G-wagen’s bodywork and black paint looks very strong and straight with hardly a blemish or wrinkle. It’s got to be one of the most popular and desirable colours for a G and certainly works with the black canvas cabriolet hood. Vulnerable styling elements such as the wheel arches and side steps appear damage free, as does the spare wheel mounted across the tailgate on a hinged frame.

The hood appears in good working order and condition but there is slight cloudiness and a few scratches on the non-glass windows set into the flexible canvas. It has a powered folding mechanism that requires manual intervention at the top of the windscreen to latch and unlatch and just a slight helping hand where the cloth sometimes snags on the rear seat headrests when folding down. 

The vehicle sits on the optional 20-inch AMG 5-spoke alloy wheels which present in very good condition; painted satin black with silver rims and all are fitted with Dunlop SportMaxx tyres with good tread from 2015-16.

You don’t have to take our word on the super condition of this Mercedes, we are looking after it during the sale and would welcome any further inspection, whether in person or via a video call. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ feature to arrange it with us.

The car’s grey interior isn’t quite up to the same standard as the outside but it is still pretty good - it would perhaps benefit from a deep clean or light reconditioning to alleviate the discoloration on some of the leather surfaces and vinyl trim.

The seats show the creases of use but are otherwise intact and comfortable. The ruched leather and vinyl door cards too are in good order. Across the dash and centre console a dark wood veneer appears crack-free and adds a further touch of luxury. 

As a nod to its off-road chops, the switches for the differential locks are placed front and centre in the dash and given illuminated bars to tell you which order to engage them in; centre, rear then front. Once all three are locked, you could be down to traction from a single wheel but the G will keep going.

The carpets are in a fair to good condition, again a little discoloured in places and Mercedes-Benz overmats are included, although they appear to be from a different model of car.

Under the bonnet, the six-cylinder turbodiesel and its ancillaries look up to spec and well maintained. The engine bay overall looks tidy and clean and has no obvious signs of rust anywhere.

Underneath the car, all is pretty clean and intact with no evidence of corrosion and only a few hints of surface rust here and there such as on the rear diff. There are a few new or replacement suspension and handling components like dampers, springs and anti-roll bars showing.

A two-door rather than a three, the rear cargo space is accessed via a drop down tailgate, which is checker plated, and a zipped roll-up rear window flap in the hood. The carpeting in the luggage area is a little soiled in places but undamaged. 

The car has a current MOT certificate valid until August 2021. The online history shows annual testing from 2007 to 2013 and then a hiatus until 2019. It failed in 2019 needing new ball joint covers and headlamps aligned but seemingly this wasn’t addressed as it failed for the same things earlier this year before passing into the trade and being sorted.

The MOT history records the cars test mileages in kilometers (would that be kilometerages?) in which there is a slight unexplained drop when the car was overseas between 2013 and 2019. Although the car was UK registered during that time, it is not clear what maintenance or testing it received - if any. However, it has been very well preserved and its condition speaks much louder than the lack of documentation.

You may have witnessed the rise in values of the G-Wagen/G-Class with something close to amusement given their workhorse origins. And yet the fact is that values have been solid for years now with no sign of faltering which makes them a great place to put your money, even if you do need rather a lot of it to gain entry.

Because there were never more than a handful of convertible Gs sold in the UK, we think this handsome left-hand-drive import will fetch somewhere between £39,000 and £49,000. That’s quite a chunk of cash but it drives exceptionally well (“In a different league to a Defender” according to the seller) and appears to be in need of very little work to be an absolute stunner of a car.

Whether it’s the seafront promenade image you are looking for (on La Croisette or in Clacton!) or the classless capability of the G with an added top-down option, there are so few Cabrios around to choose from that surely this one is worthy of your best bid. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.