・Incredibly clean throughout

・Excellent service history

・Solid chassis

・Unusual colour

Capitalising on the world-famous Land Rover brand, the company targeted the affordable SUV market in 1989 with the Discovery. Pitched as a family vehicle with genuine off-road abilities, the Discovery soon found a willing market thanks to its comfortable and spacious interior with a range of familiar well-proven engines and impressive practicality. Following in the footsteps of its Land Rover and Range Rover sisters, combining their elements of utilitarian charm and luxury. The Discovery proved to be a master class in marketing, offering civilised road manners with the ability to deal with the rough stuff too.

Unlike the majority of many of the remaining Series I Discovery’s, it has led a charmed life. It comes with excellent service records, a pile of paperwork and a recorded mileage of only 75,600. However, these are not the only unique selling points. The body, interior and mechanical aspects really have to be seen to be believed. The combination of a rare colour on a 3 door model powered by a manual V8 is a rare opportunity to obtain a car that can still make quite an appearance at social gatherings.

Always on the lookout for interesting cars, the current owner spotted the car for sale on the south coast and was immediately captivated by the condition. However, it was the promise of the head-turning V8 burble that was to prove the clincher for the sale. The previous owner, who also air pressured and waxed the car during his ownership, had originally bought it from its owner in Wales. There was plenty of evidence to support that it may not have even been used off-road, with much of its duties likely to have been confined to low-level tarmac work. Originally taken on by the current owner in October 2020, it was during the drive home that he realised that it simply was too good to use for its intended purpose and confessed to Car and Classic that he would have struggled to maintain its clean condition, so has decided to pass that gauntlet over.

It comes with a high level of specialist service history, with a pile of paperwork and invoices to offer the new owner some confidence behind the maintenance of the car. This includes work in the recent five years to replace rear discs and pads, new poly bushes, roads springs and a set of rear tyres. While the car has been in the current owners care, several items have been replaced, starting off with the rear shock absorbers and a fuel pump. The ‘Spider’ (small black box of relays) has also been replaced. The car has an MOT until September 2021.

The interior has resisted the rigours of time remarkably well, with very limited evidence of damage observed. The partial leather seats do have minor signs of age-related wear, confined to the bolster and bench but are all in rip-free condition. The door cards show a few scuffs. The dashboard is in good condition, with no cracks or significant marks. The facia and centre console are also in good shape, with the dials, switches and control in good physical and working order. The steering wheel and gear stick condition are clean, with just a hint of wear. The headlining may have been replaced at some point, as the fit is slightly baggy around the sun visors but are in good undamaged and mostly blemish-free condition. The interior lights are all functional.

The carpets show an expected amount of general use but are in generally good condition. The heavy-duty rubber mats are in good condition and are fitted throughout the car including the boot. The boot shows some general signs of use, with minor marking on the plastics but overall in presentable tidy condition. Both fold-down occasional seats are in good condition, with minimal wear. Furthermore, there is no evidence of Fido’s muddy paw prints, hair or evidence of 'surprises' anywhere in the boot.

First off, it has to be said that it really is unusual to find a Series 1 Discovery in this condition, the car has evidently been spoiled rotten. The owner points out that an inspection by a local Land Rover specialist confirmed the good news, with no significant signs of damage on the chassis or the underside of the car. The body is straight, with decent panel gaps and flush fitting alloy body panels. The doors are said to open without issues, the hinges are still up to the job. The door frames and engine bay are in good condition with no signs of significant corrosion. There are a handful of blemishes, the most notably evident on the boot door, with minor bubbling on the corner section below the rear number plate. There is also a small hole on the off-side section of the car, just in front of the rear wheel arch but displays no corrosion around it. There are no significant dents noted on the car. The Coniston Green paint finish is good, with no distracting issues regarding the coverage, it still retains a decent lustre. There are a handful of the expected signs of age, the odd stone chip and scuffs seen across the car, all of which can be treated with a little effort - a little detailing and a machine polish could transform the car into quite a show queen. 

The trim is in good condition, with all of the original specifications correct the XS spec, including the front bull bar, roof bars, fog lights and side trim. All of which shows small signs of age, with expected wear and tear but no unsightly damage. The alloys are sound, with minor road wear and all tyres are road legal. The glass is said to be good with no chips or blemishes. The rear sunroof was seeping small drops of rainwater when the car was bought - the previous owner may have not noticed this as it had been (as it is now) garaged. The leak has been sealed and there is no evidence of water inside the cabin.

The glorious Rover derived V8 fuel-injected engine has been well maintained over the years, with no immediate issues to its operation. There was an initial starting problem, which was rectified by new relay controls and fuel pump. The issue is said to be mostly resolved but occasionally may take a few turns to fire up the engine. The owner recently started the car up after a few weeks of inactivity and it was said to fire up with no issues. The engine presentation is positive, with pipework and ancillaries in good condition. The gearbox functions well, although there is an issue with the springs that should balance the gear stick into the neutral position. A relatively straightforward fix according to the owner. The running gear, such as suspension and braking is in physically good working order, with no issues reported to their operation. The exhaust is in good condition and is said not to have any problems.

Designed like it is all ready to go on an adventure, the exceptional visual presentation of this example almost overwhelms the cars original purpose but solid, original and well-maintained Series I Discovery's are worth hanging on to. That's a given. So many have rotted out or been subject to off-roading exuberances, so the added attraction of one that has not been abused adds further kudos. Mechanically robust, with parts and support readily available, in which a basic tool kit could be used rather than a laptop, this coiled sprung beauty represents the last of the true Land Rovers.


***Picture provided by seller***

Notice to bidders