Millions of years from now, will aliens visiting an earth free of humans (or future humans, on the off chance we survive that long) find a puzzling ‘amber’ fossil of a 1979 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen? Of all the cars that could have been chosen to preserve as a time capsule, most people probably wouldn’t have chosen this one, yet here we are. The automaker has commissioned an incredible sculptural exhibition for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (NAIAS) made of 44.4 tons of synthetic resin.
“The installation symbolizes the timelessness of the off-road legend and makes a conscious reference to the natural phenomenon of insects preserved in amber,” said Mercedes-Benz in a press release. “Like their genetic material the DNA of the first G-Class has also been preserved and is handed down from generation to generation. These genes are also in the new G-Class and they are carrying through the characteristic properties of the longest-lived model series from Mercedes-Benz into modern times: an iconic design, indestructible superiority off the beaten track and exceptional ride comfort on the road.”
It may be a stunt to promote a product release, but it’s certainly a memorable one. The resin block measures 18 feet long, 8.3 feet wide and over ten feet tall, and it took 90 days to create it layer by layer, with the block growing by about 1.1 inch in height every day.
