Land Rover Discovery - 20 years old +video

Land Rover Discovery 4 - The latest iteration of the Discovery

The Land Rover Discovery is celebrating its 20th anniversary. We have a video chronicling the changes from the original Discovery through to the Discovery 4 / LR4.

It’s a sure sign that I’m getting old. Policeman look like they’ve just come out of short pants (which in the case of the ‘Plastic’ (community) police, some have); white cars look old-fashioned (although I’m coming to terms with that one); my arms are only just long enough to read the newspaper and my back goes out more than I do. But I can now add another to that list: Land Rover’s ‘New’ car – the Land Rover Discovery – is 20 years old, and it only seems five minutes since it hit the market.

The Discovery was conceived to fill the gap between the iconic Land Rover Defender and its luxury sibling the Range Rover. The Range Rover was being pushed upmarket and Land Rover needed a model to fill the gap, thus was born the Discovery. With its Conran designed interior and trademark up-kink in the roofline it symbolised the burgeoning market for quality 4x4s that would suit the needs of a family, not just the off-road brigade.

But the Discovery was also extremely capable off-road and has remained so from the first Discovery in 1989 up to the 2010 Discovery 4 / LR4. It still retains the trademark silhouette of the original, but it offers more ability and luxury than could have been dreamt of two decades ago.

It’s good to celebrate a motoring icon, and the Discovery has become just that. Land Rover has plenty to say on this, so if you’re interested you can read it all in the Land Rover Discovery 20 years Press Release.