At $39,500, Is This 1991 Mercedes Brabus G36 A Big Deal?

The Geländewagen is the longest-running model in Mercedes’ fleet, but today’s Nice Price or No Dice Brabus model is one of the rarest of the bunch. Let’s decide whether this luxury off-roader can ford both streams and our poll.

In the movie, “Jaws,” the shark’s attacks are announced by a two-note ostinato in John Williams’ now iconic score. At the time of the movie’s release, that simple pairing of notes E and F elicited a sense of primal dread in movie-goers, keeping people out of the ocean and contemplating showers over baths for months afterward.

It’s a shame that cars like the 2011 BMW 535i we looked at yesterday don’t come with a similar musical leitmotif to warn of potential catastrophe looming ahead. A complicated car, despite its manual gearbox, that six-cylinder sedan portended a rewarding driving experience and the threat of expensive mechanical failures in between those jaunts. A $19,991 price tag couldn’t overcome the ominous prospect of having to fix something—anything—on the car, which resulted in it falling in a 70% No Dice loss.

There’s a game we like to play around here at the turn of the calendar page to a new year. It involves imagining what quarter-century-old cars or trucks we would import now that they qualify for the Federal government’s Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988. That act exempts most vehicles 25 years or older, opening up new opportunities with every passing year.

Most participants in this idle hours pastime pick a vehicle that’s never been officially imported due to challenges with meeting emissions or safety standards, or from a company without the resources/wherewithal to achieve those requirements.

Rarely would one consider a private import of a vehicle that is already offered here in one form or another, as what’s the point? It’s like going to 31 Flavors and ordering vanilla.

That could be considered the issue with today’s 1991 Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen, as the company officially began importing the model to the U.S. in 2002, and the boxy behemoths are still on offer today in both gas and electric forms. However, this G-Wagon isn’t one that Mercedes ever offered here in the States. It’s a Brabus G36, which was built by Brabus, the famous Mercedes-loving tuning house, and features numerous upgrades over the stock 300 GE.

When Mercedes introduced the G-Class in the U.S. in 2002, the model was already 23 years old, having originally launched as a military and agricultural model in 1979. That means it was old even when Brabus took this one and worked its magic on the model. To be fair, this 1991 is the second-generation W461model introduced a year earlier, and which moved the G-Class up-market, smoothing out the styling and making the interior a good bit swankier than the initial W460 models.

Layered on top of that is all the changes Brabus made to the truck, starting with the punched-out engine. Initially, this truck would have had a 3.0-liter edition of Mercedes’ M104 straight six. Brabus bored and stroked that, bumping the displacement to 3.6 liters. That major reimagining created a motor capable of putting out a healthy 285 horsepower. It’s so different from the stock, smaller engine that Brabus warns on the engine plaque, “Dieses Fahrzeug benötigt von der Serie abweichende Motoreinstelldaten” (“This vehicle requires engine tuning data that differs from the standard model”).

That’s not the only bit of Brabus brashness on this big beast. It also has a remapped automatic gearbox, unique exterior elements, special leather upholstery, and a Brabus badged four-spoke steering wheel. Naturally, under all of that is Mercedes’ stout body-on-frame chassis and capable 4WD.

The seller says the truck has zero rust and is in good shape, suffering only some minor chips in the Arctic White paint. The Brabus alloy wheels fitted to the truck appear to be free of curb rash. Those wear new BFG All-Terrain tires.

In the cabin, the leather does show some wear, but not excessively so. In the center stack, a later Nakamichi CD stereo shares space with three now-useless cassette storage slots. As luxurious as it all appears, it should be noted that the truck lacks A/C, so be prepared to keep that deodorant handy.

Mechanically, it’s said to be in great shape, with recent work done to the ignition and fuel systems. The seller claims the truck, “Runs and drives very well,” and touts that it is a “well-preserved example inside and out.” There are 80,421 miles on the clock, and the truck comes with a clean title.

The asking price for this bit of Brabusery is $39,500, and we now need to discuss whether that is a fair price for so unique an edition of a well-known truck. What do you think? Is that a smart bargain considering that a more modern, V8-powered version of the truck could be bought for the same amount of cash? Such a truck would have the added benefit of being more easily serviceable at an MB dealer. 

That being said, this one’s Brabus badassery is a pretty unique draw. But does it come across as a deal? Or at $39,500, does this Brabus miss the bus?

You decide!

Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Dean Ponda for the hookup!

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