The modified Land Rover Defender that became the first and only vehicle to cross the Bering Strait will soon be put up for auction.
To complete the crossing, adventurer Steve Burgess’s 4×4 vehicle was equipped with a propeller and two large red floats. He embarked on the journey in 2008 as part of the Cape to Cape Expedition.
He traveled from England to Uelen, in Siberia—the last Russian outpost before the Bering Strait, a body of water over 80 kilometers wide that separates Asia and North America at its narrowest point.
After his initial trip, he had to return to the UK and wait four months for the ice in the strait to melt before returning to complete the crossing. The vehicle reached Alaska on August 7, 2008.
Burgess, now 70 years old, said the trip was “huge and complex” and took 10 years to plan. “In total, we were off-road for more than 4,000 km,” he told Indy100.
“Crossing the strait was very complex, but it was the ultimate challenge—ice, storms, and endless uncertainty. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done.”
Since the Bering Strait crossing, the Land Rover has also been used by Burgess to drive to the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and later on a farm in Scotland.
When asked why he decided to sell the iconic Land Rover, Burgess said, “I’ve just turned 70, and I think it’s time to move on and let someone else take on another adventure.”
“I’ve had a lot of fun with it—it owes me nothing. It only covered about 200 km last year, so I know I don’t need it anymore,” he added.
The vehicle will now be sold at the Cheffins Vintage Sale auction in Sutton, England, next Saturday (18), with a pre-sale estimate between $10,000 and $13,000.
Photos: Cape to Cape Expedition. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
