Chieftain Main Battle Tank for sale: 1,603-Mile Cold War Weapon Hits Auction

Say what you want about Bring a Trailer, but the auction site has brought in its most formidable piece of hardware yet. A genuine Leyland FV4201 Chieftain Main Battle Tank for sale has surfaced, offering bidders a rare chance to own a piece of British military history complete with an 850 hp engine and a 120mm cannon.

This Cold War–era monster is fully legal to own—the gun has been de-militarized—and shows an incredibly low 1,603 miles on the odometer. With the current top bid at $100,000, it’s roughly the price of a brand-new luxury SUV.

Here is a look inside the massive machine Leyland, the company behind many British trucks and buses, once manufactured.

Leyland FV4201 Chieftain Main Battle Tank

The Chieftain: Key Specs

The Chieftain was introduced in 1967 and saw active duty until the 1990s, including service in the Gulf War and the Iran-Iraq war.

Feature	Specification
Model	Leyland FV4201 Chieftain
Engine	19-Liter Vertically-Opposed Six
Horsepower	850 hp
Main Armament	De-militarized 120mm Rifled Gun
Current Mileage	1,603 Miles
Current Bid (Estimate)	$100,000
Armor Thickness	5 inches (Glacis), 2 inches (Hull)

Leyland FV4201 Chieftain Main Battle Tank — Source: Bring a Trailer

Low Miles, High Hardware

This particular Chieftain Main Battle Tank for sale is one of the better-preserved examples to come to market. The listing confirms the vehicle retains its original controls:

A fully rotating turret.
The de-milled 120mm gun (you can’t fire live rounds, but you can certainly aim).
Original fire suppression system, periscopes, and storage racks are still intact inside the tight crew compartment.

The low mileage suggests this tank spent most of its life in storage or on short training runs. Best of all, the lucky bidder gets a Haynes manual with the tank, ensuring its massive 19-liter engine can theoretically be serviced with a wrench and a manual.

The Cost of Tank Ownership

The $100,000 current bid puts this Chieftain Main Battle Tank for sale in the same price bracket as a G-Class or a high-end sports car. For that price, the lucky buyer receives a monumental piece of machinery that represents a unique intersection of military and collector vehicle history.

While it is fully legal to own, potential bidders should be aware that finding parking and filling the fuel tank will present a far greater challenge than the auction price itself.

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