The Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG SUV is a vehicle that I’ve been enamored by for many years. I had the chance to drive one that a friend had on a loan from a dealer that had a black G55 under consignment; at the time, it belonged to a member of the Boston Red Sox. I remember how ridiculous it was that a vehicle shaped like a brick could move out with such authority, and that short test drive left a lasting impression. This G55 listed here on eBay is of the same vintage as the one I drove, except this one has just 13,700 miles, putting it about as close to new as you can get.

There are a few things Mercedes does well, and one of them is building silky-smooth factory hot rods. For the last year, I’ve head the pleasure of driving a 2002 E55 AMG sedan and I remain consistently impressed with how competent this brute of a sedan is at blending rocket-sled performance with straight-laced driving dynamic. And with 120,000 miles on the clock, the chassis remains incredibly buttoned up. The build quality is similar to that of the early 90s W124 cars, which isn’t a bad thing. The G55 hails from the same era of overbuilt qualities, going back even further into Mercedes’ history as a predominant military vehicle re-imagined for civilian use.

The shame of the G-Class is that it’s become so accustomed to being seen in suburbia that some of its uniqueness has been lost. When you start seeing G55s in the local shopping market parking lot, you start to wonder just how many suburban housewives need a vehicle more commonly seen overseas as a combat rig. Of course, that hasn’t happened in recent years as the need for a utilitarian off-roaders has diminished, and the G series is almost exclusively used as a high-end SUV built for the consumer market. But if you look back to the 1970s and 1980s. the G-Class was a much different breed of 4×4, with no luxury features and slow but durable diesel engines.

The real attraction here beyond the stump-pulling V8 powerplant is the new-in-the-wrapper condition. The G55 was always built in somewhat limited quantities, and in perhaps a testament to its overbuilt construction, many of the ones coming up for sale that are ten years old or more have racked up 120,000-150,000 miles on the clock, and are certainly entering that needy stage of Mercedes ownership. With its near-perfect interior and damage-free exterior, it’s no surprise to see strong bidding on this truck, and I’m sure it will clear $60,000 without too much effort.