Holtorf Gunther (w3444)
- Details
- Hits: 916
- Description: Gunther Holtorf had a lengthy career with Lufthansa as country director in Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Uruguay, followed by a role as managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Flug. In 1989, after resigning his position, he set off from Germany with his third wife Beate in a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300GD G-Wagen he named "Otto", with the initial intention of spending 18 months exploring Africa. The journey expanded into a 26-year round-the-world expedition. From 1990 his companion was Christine, whom he married shortly before her death from cancer in 2010; her son Martin occasionally joined as travel companion from 2007. Holtorf completed the journey alone on 16 October 2014, having visited 179 countries and covered approximately 900,000 km (560,000 miles) across all continents including North Korea, Myanmar and a 25,000 km solo crossing of China - routes he described as "pioneer tours" for being the first time a foreign vehicle had been granted access. Otto ran on its original engine throughout, carrying 400 spare parts in aluminium roof boxes and never suffering a breakdown. Otto is now on permanent display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim, Stuttgart
- Alias-Pseudonimo-Pseudonyme: -
- Nationality-Nazionalità-Nationalité: Germany, Germania, Allemagne
- Birth/death-Nascita/morte-Naissance/mort: 1937-2021
- Means of transport-Mezzo di trasporto-Moyen de transport: Car or similar, Mezzi a motore, Moyen motorisé
- Geographical description-Riferimento geografico-Référence géographique: Around the World, Giro del mondo, Tour du monde
- Internet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunther_Holtorf
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18347627