Puch, a company based in Graz, Austria, was founded in 1899 by Johann Puch. As a subsidiary of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Group, it produced a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles.

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The development of the G-Class began in 1972 as a collaboration between Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Stuttgart was responsible for design and testing, while Graz developed the production plans. The first prototype was tested in 1974, and production of the “G-model” started in Graz in 1979.

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Originally proposed as a military vehicle, the G-Class was also offered as a civilian version in 1979. It acquired the nickname “Wolf”. The Peugeot P4, a French licensed version with a Peugeot engine, was also produced. The Argentinian army was the first to use the military model 461 in 1981.

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An agreement between Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch led to different branding: In certain countries it was called Puch G, elsewhere Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen / G-Class. After the agreement expired in 2000, consumers were able to replace the brands by purchasing a retrofit kit from Magna's Puch Competence Center.

 

Production of the W460 ended in 1991, replaced by the W461 with the chassis of the W460 and drivetrain of the W463. The W461 was aimed at the military, government agencies and NGOs, with a special 24-volt electrical system. In the 1990s, the W461 offered a 2.3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine.