Gunther Holtorfas left Bavaria in 1989, and his blue jeep to Africa. The passage of 26 years, he returned home traveled almost 900,000 miles and visited 215 countries.
"It was a real adventure tour" - he says.
G. Holtorfas met his fourth wife Christine in 1989., When the collapse of a third marriage put an advertisement in a newspaper. Together they traveled for 22 years, the women often joined by their son Martin. But the journey is not everything went as a couple wanted. Christine ever had cancer, died in 2010. The couple formalized their relationship at a couple of weeks before the woman's death and beloved Gunther promised to finish the trip around the world in memory of her.
German does not remember when they had the idea to travel around the world, but the firm knew he wanted to join the Guinness Book of Records. And they did it - their names will be close to the most countries commemorate his visit car.
77-year-old Mr Holtorfas drove the entire trip in one car - a blue 1988's Mercedes-Benz 300 GD. The wife gave the Off-Roader Otto nickname.
"When I bought this car as skeptical about Mercedes' promise that" where the G-Class, there will be more. "In fact, before I had seen the world and knew what must be the car to withstand such a tour, "- said the traveler.
It maps your call more important than a passport - they suggest ways in which has been operated, all countries visited - as well as future plans.
Returning home G. Holtorfas plan their mechanic skills in the restoration of old cars.
The car needed to be repaired in the mountains
G. Holtorfas with his wife of 5 years initially traveled to Africa, and then decided to go to South America, which is a well-known man while working in the aviation business and wanted to show his beloved. Then they continued their trek to North America, Asia, Australia, and traveled all the European countries.
In some countries, they were the first foreigners who are allowed to enter their car. And sometimes travel planning took a really long time - for example, just planning a trip to Myanmar, they took 6 years.
Former aviation companies Lufthansa and Hapag Lloyd Flug chief executive Mr Holtorfas 1989 had enough savings to start a trip, but later they earned money by drawing maps. They created the first detailed map of the Indonesian capital city Jakarta and regularly renewed until 2005. 400-page Atlas of the city sold 150 000 copies.
The traveler claims that he regularly drove the spare parts, but the car breaking all very rare, despite the fact that almost constantly overloaded 500 kg beyond the characteristics and virtually always weighed about 3.3 tons. Only the roof was 400 kg assets.
Otto still has the original engine, but the ignition key is worn down, so the driver had to Saudi Arabia to order a copy. The air conditioning system was removed after just two years - the "operation was carried out by a mechanic from Kenya. The traveler said that it was simply 'what is not, that does not spoil. The most įsiminusių repairs identified the driver as necessary, to repair the vehicle chassis at a height of 5000 meters in the Andes mountains.
G-Class Mercedes traveled nearly 900 000 km, out of which 250 000 were off-road miles. According to manufacturers, the car ride is equivalent to about 2.5 million. miles to the normal roads.
G. Holtorfas unique car last weekend sent Daimler Group's head of Dieter Zetsche, now this unique exhibit will stand the company's museum in Stuttgart.
Facts about the trip record:
Car: Mercedes-Benz 300 GD
Engine: 3.0-liter diesel, 88 hp
Time: 26 years
Distance: 897 000 km
Offroad: 250 000 km
Visited countries: 215
Border crossing: 410 (outside Europe)
Highest place visited: Camp Mount Everest, 5200 meters above sea level
The lowest place: Sea of Death / Death Valley - both 150 m below sea level
The coldest place near Irkutsk, Siberia, -27 degrees C
The hottest place in Australia, near Alice Springs, +50 degree heat
The total time spent driving: 3.5 years
Stops at the borders time: half a year
