Floating Land Rover used to cross Bering Strait is to be sold at auction

A modified Land Rover described as the first and only vehicle to cross the Bering Strait, a more than 50-mile-wide stretch of water separating Asia and North America at their closest point, is to be sold at auction.

The 4×4 had a propeller and two large red floats added to it to successfully complete the crossing in 2008.

Adventurer and cattle farmer Steve Burgess made the journey as part of the Cape to Cape Expedition.

He travelled from England to Uelen in Siberia, the final Russian outpost before the Bering Strait, then returned to the UK to wait four months for the ice of the strait to melt before coming back to make the crossing.

The vehicle arrived in Alaska on August 7 2008.

Mr Burgess, 70, said the trip was “big and complex” and took 10 years to plan.

“The far east of Russia is completely remote, it’s a no-go, there’s no roads, which is why we set off in the winter when we knew it would be covered in ice,” he said.

“It freezes solid in the winter, and that was the time we had to cross it, in total we were off road for over 4,000km (2,485 miles).

“Going over the strait was so complex, but it was the ultimate challenge – ice, storms, and endless uncertainty.

“It was one of the most exciting things I have ever done.

“I have just turned 70 and I think it’s time to move on and let someone else take it for another adventure.

“I have had my fun with it; it doesn’t owe me anything.

“It only did 200km (124 miles) last year – so I know I don’t need it.”

The vehicle was adapted to be fully waterproofed, including the engine, and fully insulated to prepare it for the winter crossing.

It was tested on the Irish Sea, the Channel and Coniston Water in the Lake District before setting off on the expedition in January 2008.

The vehicle was also fitted with removable caterpillar tracks, enabling it to cross snow and ice on its journey to the strait.

It crossed ice and snowdrifts, weathered temperatures of minus 45C and passed polar bears before reaching the strait.

The Bering Strait, named after Danish captain Vitus Bering who sailed into the strait in 1728, links the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea.

It separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point, with the US-Russia boundary extending through the strait.

Since the Bering Strait crossing, the Land Rover was also used by Mr Burgess to drive to the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and otherwise has been used on a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, where Mr Burgess, who was previously based in Yorkshire, now lives.

It is to be sold at auction at the Cheffins Vintage Sale at Sutton near Ely, Cambridgeshire, on October 18 with a pre-sale estimate of £8,000 to £10,000.

Tom Godsmark, a director at Cheffins, said: “Defenders are always popular with collectors, but this example is in a league of its own.

“With its extraordinary expedition history and fully retained amphibious capabilities, it offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any thrill-seeker or enthusiast.

“This really is a part of motoring and expeditionary history, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to offer it for auction.”

Cheffins said the vehicle is being sold with all the amphibious equipment and memorabilia from the expedition, including original survival suits.