If you name a truck after an animal immortalized throughout history in mythology, religion and folklore, it better be pretty rad. This Wolf delivers. Up for sale from Manhattan Motorcars is this fully restored 1990 Mercedes-Benz 250GD Wolf with 80,657 miles for a price of $89,995. This Wolf served in the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Republic of Germany, before being decommissioned and restored including a bare-metal repaint in the deep golden yellow you see before you. It looks pretty, but you better believe it’s still big and bad.
THE MERCEDES-BENZ 250GD WOLF - A SOLDIER'S BEST FRIEND
The 250GD Wolf is a diesel powered variant of the W460 Gelandewagen (G-Series), powered by the OM602 inline five cylinder diesel motor, generally considered one of the most reliable engines ever made. While this one does have a power plant that has enjoyed a rebuild, it’s said these are typically capable of going anywhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 miles without a rebuild.
The story of the 250GD Wolf is wild, and we’ll recount it from a previous 250GD Wolf for sale post:
“Back in the early 1970s, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last Shah needed 20,000 desert-ready trucks to fortify the country’s military. The Shah, a man of massive wealth, an autophile, and also a Mercedes-Benz shareholder, went to the company about the possibility of fulfilling the order. They got to work creating the Geländewagen, often called “the Wolf” when used in a military context. It was a boxy beast capable of performing many functions, on or off of paved roads. At its core, it lives up to its name, which translates roughly to “terrain vehicle,” sporting low overhangs, a suspension ahead of its time and three fully-locking differentials.”
While the modern G-Wagen is known for its opulence and luxury, the 250GD was sparse and utilitarian from stock, yet capable. Along with the reliability mentioned above, these characteristics made for the perfect military vehicle; however, they also make for an incredible modern 4x4, especially when given professional resto-mods like this one.
SPECS
Despite serving in the military, this Wolf has only 80,657 original miles–but it shows as brand new thanks to a detailed restoration that came with several performance and aesthetic enhancements. The first thing you can’t help but notice is that bright yellow coat of paint, which was a bare-metal respray that came alongside rust prevention measures as well and included painted panels in the interior of the Wolf.
The aesthetic enhancements continue with sharp looking black 15” steel wheels, a brand new vinyl soft top, a grill guard, LED tail lights, a snorkel kit, extended wheel flares, a rear jerry-can/plate holder, and more.
Mechanically, this Wolf’s heartbeat comes from the rebuilt OM602 inline 5 cylinder diesel motor, mated to a rebuilt 5-speed manual transmission and heavy duty clutch. It has front and rear locking diffs and a dual range transfer case, and when paired with a 2” suspension lift and off-road tires, this Wolf knows its way around the forest.
The interior is still relatively simple and clean, but does show new seats and rubber floor covers.
MECHANICAL & DRIVE:
- 2.5-liter OM602 five cylinder diesel engine
- Rebuilt 5-speed heavy duty manual transmission
- Sachs heavy duty clutch
- Dual range transfer case
- Front and rear locking differentials
INTERIOR:
- New seats
- Paint matched dash and interior panels
- Rubber floor
BODY & EXTERIOR:
- 2” suspension lift
- 15” black Mercedes steel wheels
- New vinyl soft top
- Aftermarket LED tail lights
- Original snorkel kit
- Grill guard
- Front indicator cages
- Extended wheel flares
- Rear jerry-can/plate holder
- Tire carrier with matching spare
