Mercedes-Benz W31

The Mercedes-Benz W31, type G4, was a German three-axle off-road vehicle first produced by Mercedes-Benz in 1934 as a staff and command car for the Wehrmacht. It was designed as a seven-seat touring car or closed saloon and was used mainly by the upper ranks of the Nazi regime in parades and inspections, because it was thought too expensive for general army use. The G4 developed from the G1 launched in 1926 and had an eight-cylinder inline engine, a 6x4 layout with four-speed transmission driving all four rear wheels, hydraulic brakes with servo assistance and a top speed of 67 km/h. Larger engines followed in 1937 and 1938, and about 57 cars were built, the last in 1939.