Land Rover Discovery - 25 Years of The Family 4 x 4

Author: James Taylor, ISBN: 9781847976895, 240 pages, Hardback, published in 2014

A quarter of a century ago, the Land Rover Discovery defined at a stroke how traditional 4 x 4 all-terrain ability could co-exist with family-estate practicality at an affordable price. Since 1989, the Discovery has gone through several iterations, but its essential qualities have remained unchanged. Practical, capable, and above all completely distinctive - the stepped roof seemed odd at first but now defines the Discovery shape - the Discovery has gone on to become one of Land Rover's best-loved products.

Topics covered include:

• Design and development of the original Discovery in the late 1980s, and the move into North America
• The new 300Tdi engine and R380 gearbox of 1994, and the BMW takeover
• Series II models of 1998-2004, and Land Rover's move from BMW to Ford
• Discovery 3/'LR3' - 2004-2009, and the new TDV6 engine, developed by Jaguar
• Discovery 4/'LR4' - the all-purpose family luxury car
• Special editions and derivatives of all four generations of Discovery, including Discoverys for the emergency services and the Camel Trophy and G4 Challenge competition vehicles
• The twenty-fifth year of production and the 2014 models