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Singapore – One of the world’s great travellers is
currently visiting Singapore, having chalked up more than half a million
kilometres around the globe (and still counting) in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV,
a journey that started in 1990.
Now, 17 years on, and with more than 130 countries covered,
Gunther Holtorf is in Singapore with his faithful “Otto”.
“Otto” is actually his 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 GD, bearing the
serial number 460333-17-061564, which is mechanically standard and has a diesel
engine output of 88 HP.
German Gunther W. Holtorf and his beloved G-lass is certainly
a “Mercedes & Me” story.
Mr. Holtorf’s story is a true celebration of the unique and
enduring relationship he has with his Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
This globetrotter actually started his journey in 1990. He
usually dedicates some six months per year to his trips, and spends another
couple of months in his home town, near Munich in Germany.
Seventeen years ago, at the age of 53, Gunther W. Holtorf made
up his mind to do something different with his life.
"Either you do your 9 - 5 job until you can’t do it any
longer, or you give up at the right time and that is precisely what I did," he
remembers.
He set off on a round-the-world trip.
He was the overseas representative of Lufthansa and then
Managing Director of Hapag Lloyd. Holtorf saw much of the world without, he
says, really enjoying it to the fullest. The travel bug bit him while he was
working in Argentina. His time in South America allowed him to holiday in a
Mercedes-Benz W 123-series, driving through jungles and more particularly,
crossing the river that divides Brazil from Guyana. He then moved to Indonesia.
During his time in Jakarta, he was able to explore every last corner of the
country. But, he recalls, there was never time enough to travel at leisure.
Gunther Holtorf does not know precisely how many passports he
has used up in 17 years but they have entry and exit visa stamps from over 200
border crossings. Small wonder, when you consider where he and his G-Class have
travelled. It is no longer a question of following the route on a road map – you
need a globe of the world.
"After my time with Lufthansa in South America and other
countries, the first logical alternative to flying was something rooted to the
ground.”
Starting from Frankfurt, he and his wife travelled through
Africa, shipped the car to South America and drove through Argentina down to
Tierra del Fuego and up the North American continent to Alaska.
"After my experience with my much loved W 123 (which he still
owns), it was clear to me that power is a secondary requirement. A journey of
this nature calls for off-road capabilities and, above all, durability."
“Otto” had proven to be adequate in both. The vehicle covered
200,000 km on the American continent in five years alone, and all without any
special treatment.
One Christmas the couple and “Otto” celebrated in a Brazilian
jungle mud-hole, while at other times they found themselves negotiating
5,000-metre-high passes in Bolivia, facing unending desert wastes on the way
through Tenere in the heart of the Sahara or being ferried across jungle rivers
on rickety rafts, all of which the G-Class took in its stride.
What kept it going?
In the words of Gunther Holtorf, “The G-Class is old but
mechanically it is simple and totally reliable. From my experience in the
aviation industry, I have learnt preventive maintenance, meaning to replace any
wear and tear parts according to a schedule rather than wait for them to fail.
Over the years, it has hardly given us any problems. Almost everything about our
G-Class is original. The only modifications we have made, being stronger springs
and, at a later date, heavy duty shock absorbers, to cope with the all-up weight
of over three tones.”
With the aim of reducing everything to bare essentials,
Gunther Holtorf removed the G-Class's air-conditioning system and deliberately
dispensed with other modern-day requirements.
"What use is a satellite phone if no one will come to where
you are. It is more important to have everything with you so that you can help
yourself,” he declares.
During the Sahara crossing, “Otto” was burdened with an
additional load of 400 kilograms on the roof. In addition, he carries a
collection of around 450 large and small original spare parts which have proved
indispensable on the round-the-world trip. The smallest part is a sealing ring
for the brake calipers, the heaviest and bulkiest a set of shock absorbers.
Additionally the vehicle carries a recovery harnesses, ropes,
a nine-tonne grab winch, a high-lift jack, tools and several other items.
Gunther Holtorf has also got by without an expensive
navigation system. He has always found his way using an aging Garmin 75 GPS, a
compass and maps. What may count, however, it that he is able to use these
devices better than most, perhaps because of what lies behind the third career
of this former Lufthansa official. For thirty years he has also acted as
Jakarta's cartographer.
Even during his time as the Lufthansa representative in the
Indonesian capital, he started making his own maps of the city (population over
18 million) which, until then, were virtually non-existent.
"First, that friends could find our house more easily, but
later for the reason that it was a project no one else would take on," Gunther
Holtorf explained.
Today, he is the publisher of a local street atlas for Jakarta
which is now into its 13th edition.
"Three German names are household words in Jakarta – Aspirin,
Mercedes and now, my map on Jakarta, ” says Gunther Holtorf.
He concerns himself with the business in Indonesia whenever he
takes a break from travelling.
Thus, in the summer of 2003, he left “Otto” behind in
Melbourne and flew to Germany for three months, taking with him the G-Class
gearbox.
"There is nothing wrong with it but, since we wanted to
traverse China, Mongolia, Russia, India and Pakistan, in the next two and a half
years, putting it through a general inspection was no mistake,” he explains.
At present, some of the countries still listed on the
itinerary are not among the world's safest travel destinations.
"When things get hot, we bypass the area. In the last fifteen
years, we have never taken unnecessary risks but neither have we done anything
that might scare us," says Gunther Holtorf.
The most important aspect of his philosophy lies in not
arousing envy.
“On the road, we live as simply as the local population. In 17
years of travelling, we have only once stayed in a house, and that was with a
friend in America, otherwise we sleep in the car or our hammocks."
This is even on occasions when “Otto” is undergoing
inspections in a workshop in some far corners of the world.
For these most seasoned of world travellers, their
extravagance is listening to Beethoven.
"It’s also about no longer living to the constant ticking of a
clock but in accordance with climatic zones."
It is interesting to note that the Holtorfs sleep, cook, eat,
drink and even shower, in or around the car. In kind weather, they sleep
outdoors on hammocks with one end slung to the vehicle and the other to a tree.
The alternative is a cosy “double-bed” built into the cabin of the G-Class. The
Holtorfs combine the rear seat and cargo area into a bedroom which can easily
sleep two.
Having followed the Holtorfs’ exploits closely over the years,
Mercedes-Benz has expressed interest in acquiring “Otto” for the new museum in
Stuttgart, sometime in 2009, when the Holtorfs plan to pull up the handbrake for
the last time.
Three years ago, Mercedes-Benz had the Holtorfs’ vehicle
shipped back to Germany for ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of the
G-Class, which has earned an impeccable reputation for capability and
reliability in both civilian and military service all over the world.
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