1995 Mercedes-Benz G320 SWB

This particular example is a 1995-registered, G320 SWB model, which has lived most of its life on the continent, originally on Spanish plates as a Spanish-delivered vehicle, before being imported into the UK in 2009, passing through the hands of a few owners, and most recently spending a period of time in Portugal on British plates with its current owner.

Unfortunately, due to rules that have come into force following Brexit, due to the owner being a fully Portuguese citizen, they can no longer drive around on a car wearing British plates, meaning this SWB has been replaced in their life by a new Suzuki Jimny.

Having been evidently cared for throughout its life, there are a number of Mercedes-Benz main dealer invoices for servicing and other work, the most recent of which was from Mercedes-Benz of Lisbon, who carried out a service during July 2020, and noted that “all was OK” with this G-Class, with the vendor confirming this by having daily-driven the car for the last 18-months with no issues.

Finished in an attractive shade of green which suits the boxed-off lines of this SWB well, the bodywork is wonderfully straight throughout, with no signs of any notable dents or abrasions.

There is, of course, some signs of wear as expected on a 26-year-old vehicle, with various minor marks to the bonnet, front end and paintwork, which have all been detailed in the extensive photo gallery below. There are a few marks to the A-pillar areas also, along with a small scuff on the front nearside bumper, though nothing which is out-of-place for a car of this age and mileage.

To the rear, the large door swings open without any arguments, and the towing eye and bar are both present and correct. There is some wear noted to the spare wheel cover, but this is purely cosmetic and would be easy to replace should you feel the need.

In fact, for a car that has covered over 136,000 miles, we’d say it’s in pretty darn good shape all round, which extends to the wheels which are all in great shape and wrapped in matching all-terrain tyres.

Inside, the light grey cloth interior has fared well over the years, and presents in very good condition throughout.

The seats themselves are all free of any rips, tears or major scuffs, though - like the rest of the interior - they would benefit from a thorough shampooing and wet valet to bring them back to their best, a process which would also be beneficial to the headliner (which is also undamaged, yet stained) and the carpets, all of which have been photographed and displayed in the gallery below. The rears of both the front and back seats have a few marks, and it is uncertain whether these would come out with a thorough cleaning, or whether the material would require replacement, should the new owner wish to do so.

The centre console and dashboard both remain in great shape and are free of any cracks or damage, though there are holes left over from an in-car phone kit fitted to the right-hand (passenger) side of the centre console.

High-traffic areas such as the shifter, inner door sill covers and steering wheel all display a light patina, but are certainly in far better condition than one would expect when the age and mileage of the car is taken in to consideration.

All that really needs doing in here is the replacement of the ill-fitting modern (ish) stereo, and a thorough cleaning, and you’d have a G-Class interior that is worthy of the luxurious Mercedes-Benz badge.

One of the benefits of shooting high-up vehicles such as this is that access to the underside and running gear is far better than on most vehicles we deal with here at The Market, which means that a much more in-depth gallery of underside photos can be provided.

All of these images are available below for you to peruse at your own leisure, but from our brief inspection we found nothing untoward or frightening sitting underneath the vehicle, which is backed up by the most recent MOT test - dated 04 February 2021 - being a clean pass with no advisories - a pattern which is repeated all the way back to 2014!

Under the bonnet, the 3.0-litre inline-six engine looks to be in good shape, though the block, ancillaries and bay as a whole would benefit from a thorough cleaning, de-greasing and detailing. As far as we could see, however, there were no oil leaks to be noted, which is good news for any potential bidders.

On our test drive, the car performed well. Instantly firing into life and settling into a comfortable, smooth idle, this G320 pulled wheel when required, and shifted up-and-down through the gearbox as necessary. Steering and braking also appeared to be fault-free, and there were no warning lights to note on the dashboard.

Whilst there was no issue with shifting between gears, we did note that the shifts would be intermittently quite violent and agricultural-sounding, though there was never a problem with supplying drive to the wheels and this did not appear to impede performance in any way.

Included with the vehicle is a modest folder of history, including the V5 showing five former UK-registered keepers, a handful of old invoices from the car’s time on the continent, and a number of Mercedes-Benz main dealer invoices, including the one from the aforementioned service during July 2020. 

Wonderfully ‘of its time’ and still retaining an impressive road presence to this day, the G-Class is a car that has stood the test of time very, very well indeed, though largely-original models such as this 1995 G320 SWB are starting to become hard to find.

Despite being left-hand-drive, this ‘G’ is wonderfully easy to use on UK roads, and shrugs off its age and mileage with ease. A wonderful everyday car for those that occasionally like to explore off the beaten path or encounter inclement weather, we estimate a final hammer price of around £20,000 to £30,000 for this boxy beauty.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00pm. 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’.