Land Rover Discovery

The first-generation Land Rover Discovery has attracted a strong enthusiast following in the 35 years since it was introduced in 1989. There have been books that provide buying advice, but there is no dedicated book that explains the model's reasons for being, its development story, or its production and sales history. The original Discovery was a vitally important model in the Land Rover story. Global sales dipped in the early 1980s, just as Land Rover introduced their new One Ten core models. At the same time, Japanese manufacturers were scoring successes with spacious family passenger carriers that derived their inspiration from the Range Rover but were much less expensive. Recognising that the Range Rover alone would not sustain the company, Land Rover management initiated a programme to develop a mid-range competitor vehicle for the Japanese family 4x4s. It had to be in production by 1989 to meet the company's business projections, and Land Rover developed new ways of working to achieve this. The Discovery exceeded all its targets, giving Land Rover a European best-seller as well. The range rapidly became central to the Land Rover product line and is now in its fifth generation. The Discovery also changed the focus of the Land Rover marque, which had originally been established to deliver utility and commercial vehicles. Together with the Range Rover, it tipped the balance in favour of passenger-carrying models, and set the tone for subsequent products. The name "Discovery" became so well established that it is understood on its own, independently of the Land Rover brand. The model also played an important role in establishing Land Rover as a mainstream player in the US market, and a section of this book will be devoted to the Discovery's time in the USA. There will also be coverage of its use as a Police vehicle, as well as by other emergency services and even as a van. This book will tell the story of the original Discovery in detail, with a wealth of imagery to show the multiple models and variations.