German businesswoman who toured world in vintage car dies aged 81

Heidi Hetzer, a Berlin businesswoman whose late-in-life decision to drive around the world in an American vintage car won her many fans back home in Germany, has died at the age of 81.

Ms Hetzer’s family said she died at her home in the German capital over the weekend with the cause of death unclear.

A trained mechanic who once lost a finger repairing an engine, Ms Hetzer took over the family car business in 1969, turning it into one of Berlin’s biggest.

Having taking part in various car rallies for decades and driven from Germany to China in 2007, Ms Hetzer decided to take her 1930s Hudson Greater Eight on a world tour in 2014.

Ms Hetzer, who documented her journey on Instagram, received a hero’s welcome on her return to Berlin in 2017.