A 75-year-old woman is planning a trip around the world in her 91-year-old Hispano-Suiza roadster. Heidi Hetzer, one of Germany's first female mechanics, has been a rally driver and dealership owner for years, and now she's taking her love of automobiles on a global trek. While Hetzer has always been a serious car enthusiast, this is the first time she is embarking on a road trip quite like this.
Hetzer is planning her 2014 trip around the adventures of Clarenore Stinnes, the first person ever to traverse the globe by car, IOL Motoring reports. Stinnes' journey took place in 1928 and brought her to cities like Budapest, Moscow, Tokyo, San Francisco and New York. Using roads, ships and even one air lift, Stinnes traversed the globe over the course of more than two years.
The modern-day version of this cross-continental road trip will be similar, with the exception being the car Hetzer intends to drive. Her Roadster was built in 1921 and was one of only three bodied by Belvallette. The luxury sports car has been the subject of vehicle maintenance and auto repair to keep it in top shape, with a 6597cc engine powering the car through its nearly 30,000 mile trip.