Gunther on one of his many adventures
At wheelsforwomen.ie we love a good adventure story and all the better if a car is involved. This week we share the incredible story of one man’s trip around the world in his beloved Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
Top Gear is now just as well known for the adventures that take place outside the studio involving the boys and a selection of dilapidated cars, as for the action inside the studio or on track. Those of you who watched the recent series will have seen the team traverse all sorts of challenging African terrain to find the source of the Nile. These sorts of antics are a recurrent theme on the show.
It might be all made up for the camera, but still, Jeremy, Richard and James always seem to become emotionally connected to their cars. It’s not surprising considering what they go through together!
I recently came across the story of a German man, Gunther Holtorf, who has been on his own incredible adventure with his car. The former airline executive, now in his seventies, has been travelling the world in his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen called Otto for 24 years.
Gunther and his wife Christine set off in the G-Wagen in 1989. They had planned an 18 month trip around Africa but Gunther and Otto are still circumventing the globe 24 years later (sadly Christine passed away in 2010). He has been in over 200 countries and travelled the equivalent of 20 times around the world.
The Merecdes-Benz G-Wagen might just be the perfect road trip vehicle if you listen to Gunther’s testimonial. Otto has clocked up over 500,000 miles and according to Gunther, the car has never had a serious breakdown. For those not familiar with the G-Wagen, it’s an off-roader built by Mercedes-Benz. More substance than style, the G-Wagen is a tough, utilitarian vehicle and evidently built like a tank!
Gunther travels with everything he needs and saves money by preparing his own food and sleeping in the back of the G-Wagen so that he only really has to pay for fuel and shipping the vehicle between continents.
Their journey together will come to an end soon. Gunther plans to retire from his travels in August of this year. He hopes to leave his beloved Otto to be exhibited in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany:
“It’s not about me being remembered. I want Otto to be remembered, and so would my late wife. The car belongs in a museum. The car will continue to live—that’s what I want to see. It’s not me that is special; it’s the car. This car has been in so many countries all around the planet.”
It seems like a fitting tribute to an extraordinary car.
Gunther spent 24 years travelling around the globe and clocked up 500,000 miles in the process – but what was the longest road trip you ever took? Leave a comment and let us know.
21st March, 2013
