- 4,806
- Sweden
I found an interesting article and searched for any mention of it
here in the forum but came up short.
Translation (plus a bit of text taken from Wiki):
Gunther and Christine Holtorf drove this car for twenty-six years clocking up
900,000km through 215 countries.
That's the equivalent of 22 laps around the Earth and they're now in the
Guinness book of world records.
The 300D was already ten years old when the couple purchased it in 1988.
They named it 'Otto' and it was the first foreign car to be allowed into North
Korea and Burma.
Gunther says the car never gave him any major troubles even though 250,000km
were driven off-road with 400kg (880lbs) of extra weight.
-The suspension was reinforced and the shock absorbers were changed
but other than that all parts are original. Engine, transmission etc..
The body/chassi is still in good condition.
For the first five years, Holtorf and his companion traveled through Africa,
thereafter shipping the car to South America to continue their journeys there.
Through subsequent years they traveled upwards through Central America,
the United States and Canada before traveling south again and shipping the
car to Australia and Asia and through the Caribbean and into other regions of
the world.
Holtorf traveled inexpensively, avoiding hotels and sleeping in the car from
which the rear seats were removed, or in hammocks pitched near it.
Mercedes eventually purchased 'Otto' from the Holtorf's and the car is now in
the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
here in the forum but came up short.
Translation (plus a bit of text taken from Wiki):
Gunther and Christine Holtorf drove this car for twenty-six years clocking up
900,000km through 215 countries.
That's the equivalent of 22 laps around the Earth and they're now in the
Guinness book of world records.
The 300D was already ten years old when the couple purchased it in 1988.
They named it 'Otto' and it was the first foreign car to be allowed into North
Korea and Burma.
Gunther says the car never gave him any major troubles even though 250,000km
were driven off-road with 400kg (880lbs) of extra weight.
-The suspension was reinforced and the shock absorbers were changed
but other than that all parts are original. Engine, transmission etc..
The body/chassi is still in good condition.
For the first five years, Holtorf and his companion traveled through Africa,
thereafter shipping the car to South America to continue their journeys there.
Through subsequent years they traveled upwards through Central America,
the United States and Canada before traveling south again and shipping the
car to Australia and Asia and through the Caribbean and into other regions of
the world.
Holtorf traveled inexpensively, avoiding hotels and sleeping in the car from
which the rear seats were removed, or in hammocks pitched near it.
Mercedes eventually purchased 'Otto' from the Holtorf's and the car is now in
the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
