2020 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen 'Mat Armstrong Car'
2020 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen 'Mat Armstrong Car'
The G-Class requires little introduction. Developed from Mercedes-Benz's utilitarian off-road platform into one of the marque's most recognisable luxury performance models, the AMG G 63 combines traditional body-on-frame construction and permanent four-wheel drive with the formidable performance of a twin-turbocharged V8. Its unmistakably upright styling and exceptional road presence have helped establish the model as an enduring flagship of the Mercedes-AMG range.
Few vehicles have undergone a transformation quite as dramatic as this Mercedes-AMG G 63, it was rebuilt by famous automotive YouTuber Mat Armstrong. Acquired as a crash-damaged, but not categorised non-running project. The G 63 presented considerably greater challenges than its external appearance initially suggested, before being comprehensively recommissioned during an ambitious rebuild. When acquired by Armstrong, this example displayed accident damage concentrated around the front of the vehicle and wasn't running. Initial investigation revealed damage to components around the front cooling system, while the precise reason for the car's failure to start proved considerably harder to establish. Despite the apparent accident damage, notably none of the airbags had deployed. Further diagnosis ultimately revealed the most significant problem: the engine had seized. With the self-imposed deadline of completing the car within six days, and the intention of subsequently driving it more than 2,000 miles to Switzerland, the decision was made to replace the drivetrain rather than attempt an extensive engine rebuild. A complete replacement engine and transmission assembly was consequently sourced from a later G-Class and installed. The process involved transferring and reconnecting the associated wiring, electronics, cooling equipment and ancillaries. Even following installation, however, the engine initially refused to start. Extensive fault-finding eventually traced the problem to an electrical connector which had not seated correctly; once rectified, the replacement V8 immediately fired into life. Attention could then turn to completing the remainder of the vehicle. Damaged components around the front end were replaced or repaired, the cooling system reinstated, fluids replenished and the various electronic systems checked before the bodywork was reassembled. Remarkably, just six days after arriving as an immobile accident-damaged project, the G 63 was once again running and driving.
Its rebuild subsequently became the subject of Armstrong's December 2025 YouTube film, “I Bought a Wrecked Mercedes G Wagon &Rebuilt It in 6 Days”, attracting over 12 million views and providing unusually comprehensive visual documentation of the work undertaken. Armstrong then ran a competition to win the vehicle, of which the vendor, to his amazement, won! Combining the imposing character and performance for which the AMG G-Class is renowned with an entertaining and extensively documented recent history, this G 63 represents a distinctive example with a provenance quite unlike that of most of its contemporaries. Consigned by Will Penrose
Lot details
Year: 2020
Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model: G-Wagen 'Mat Armstrong Car'
Registration: EU20 ZWE
Chassis No: W1N4632762X351088
Odometer: 51,568
* Rebuilt and documented throughout in a Mat Armstrong YouTube video
* Custom body-kit and wheels
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