This Is Perhaps the Most Iconic Jeep Adventure Story Ever

Nephew of record-breaking CJ-5 owner seeks to complete legendary adventure.

Don’t let the pinkish, dusty rose color fool you. This Kaiser CJ-5 could very well be one of the toughest Jeeps we’ve ever covered here at JK-Forum.

One thing’s for certain, it definitely is credited with one of the most iconic adventures associated with the American nameplate. Make no mistake about it, this is a Jeep story for the ages.

Owned by Loren Upton, the CJ-5 stands in the Guinness Book of Records as the first land vehicle to conquer Panama’s infamous Darien Gap in 1992. As detailed in a story by The Spokesman-Review, the trip was 125 miles, and took 741 days to complete in the Jeep known as “The Sand Ship Discovery.”

Named after one of Captain James Cook’s ships, the Jeep is still owned by the explorer that made that dangerous trek in 1992, Loren Upton. Now the Jeep finds itself on a journey of a different kind.

Upton’s nephew, Laurence, is on a mission to restore the CJ as a tribute to his now 82-year-old uncle. Laurence hopes to complete another leg of the journey, which had to be abandoned back in Loren’s day.

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Darien Gap wasn’t actually the planned point of completion for the adventure, as Loren’s nephew Laurence shares in the Spokesman story.

When all was said and done, Loren Upton fell 12 miles short of his original goal. Still, it’s amazing Upton got as far as he did. His adventures were filled with all sorts of mishaps, including the murder of one of his fellow explorers. Now, Laurence is aiming to complete his uncle’s mission, and will have the Jeep CJ-5 Loren had to abandon on his last attempt, restored at a museum.

Pretty wild story, right? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Trust us, this is one Jeep story that’s well worth the full read here.