The Land Rover Discovery – or ‘Disco’ as it is referred to in more affectionate circles – is a current series of premium SUVs, initially designed and manufactured by Land Rover Ltd (Jaguar Land Rover Ltd since 2013). They continue to be built at the firm’s Solihull plant south-west of Birmingham, England.

The Discovery series is currently in its fifth generation, the first of which was introduced in 1989. The Disco is quite rightly regarded as being somewhat influential, as one of the first to be marketed as a true off-road, highly-capable family car.

The Series II Discovery – a fine late model of which is offered here – debuted in the autumn of 1998 and was promoted by Land Rover as having 720 modifications over the Series I Discovery.

The interior and exterior were re-worked to be less utilitarian and more luxurious. Each body panel was new, except the outer metal on the rear door. The rear of the body was extended to improve load space and accommodate full-size adults on all seven seats available on the SE7 option, as well as make them all forward facing. However, it came at the expense of a more lengthy rear overhang which slightly reduced the car's departure angle, when off-roading.

Engine-wise, the 3,948 cc V8 petrol power plant from the Discovery 1 was replaced with the Range Rover P38 Thor 4.0-litre Rover-derived V8. Although the basic design of the engine was similar – as was its capacity – it was actually quite different internally as it deployed a different crankshaft, had larger bearing journals with cross bolted caps, different connecting rods and different pistons. The blocks were machined differently, to accept extra sensors for the Thor injection system and to allow the extra stroke of the 4.6 crankshaft.

The final Discovery Series II models rolled off the Solihull production lines towards the end of May, 2004, to make way for the all-new Discovery 3 models.

The build of this particular ‘Disco’ concluded on September 10th, 2003 and was dispatched to Guy Salmon Land Rover in Allesley, West Midlands nine days later. It received its first UK registration on 29th September, 2003.

In the intervening 19 years, BF53 UEK has been enjoyed by just four former keepers, before being acquired by the current keeper on 12th September, 2020. The car has been driven just 84,425 miles since new, a little over 3,000 of which was experienced by the current keeper – a resident of the Isle of Wight.

A fresh MoT was issued against the car on the 6th January this year with the odometer reading 83,291 miles.

Accompanying the sale will be a V5C registered in the current keeper’s name, the aforementioned MoT certificate and an expansive Lever Arch file of past service, spares and maintenance records.

Also included in the sale will be the owner’s manual, service record book, in-car entertainment guide and an instruction manual for the Kenwood radio/CD unit.

What stands out for many Discovery enthusiasts is the light and airy interior, thanks to the ‘Alpine’ windows. Land Rover designer Terry Conran had a hand in its design and its fresh approach garnered a British Design Award.

The interior of this particular Discovery presents to a very high standard and is finished in warm cream leather throughout. The door cards and roof lining are in excellent order and the dashboard is trimmed with smart veneer inserts across its width and on the centre console.

A full set of practical rubber mats protect the carpets and the boot also contains a bespoke rubber liner.

The two occasional seats at the rear of this SE7 model have not been used by the current keeper and their excellent condition suggests that they may well not have been used at all during the car’s 19 years.

The only interior blemish encountered was the worn leather handbrake lever gaiter, as pictured. Online research suggests a new replacement to be available for less than £30, excluding shipping. Aside from that, the interior of this car presents in exceptionally good order considering its year and mileage.

Like the interior, the exterior of this Disco is also in very good order. While somewhat short of concourse condition with a few small surface scratches here and there (which would be eliminated by an hour or two of applied polishing and buffing), the paintwork shines to a high standard and all panels present as the day they were pressed in Solihull and the shut-lines around the car remain true.

The front and rear lights are clear of any age-related fogging and all electrics are said to be in working order. A cursory glance down each flank of the car shows no evidence of damage and the front number plate, bumper and valance – for all their vulnerability – remain in remarkably good condition. 

The front, rear and side sills of the car are blemish-free, as are each of the door under-sills – a particularly vulnerable area on the Series I and II Discoveries. The overall condition of this near-twenty-year-old Disco highlights the attention and care afforded the car over the years.

Accompanying the vendor to the photoshoot location at Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight, the Disco performed to an impressively high standard, starting every time at the first ask and settling into a sonorous V8 burble.

Supporting that brief experience, the vendor reports the car to be very good mechanical condition with steering, brakes, engine, drivetrain and running gear performing as well as their respective engineers intended some twenty years ago. 

The engine bay is very tidy and clean and, like the immediately visible parts of this Land Rover Discovery, the underside of the car present in good order with the usual degree of natural oxidation that may reasonably be expected on a car of this age and mileage.

The product of some clever thinking at the time, by a company trying to expand its product line-up on a tight, Ford-governed budget, the Land Rover Discovery uses its Range Rover structure to good effect.

The model has since become the backbone of the Land Rover line-up and industry watchers have even suggested that without the Discovery, it is doubtful whether Land Rover would have survived in the long term.

Early Discovery models are the most desirable today but all MkI and MkII cars are worthy of attention – and if you need a large, trusty family car that remains untroubled by farm tracks and wintry weather, few modern classics strike as good a balance as the Disco. Find a good one and look after it, it’ll serve you well. What we have here is a good one.

G’won, because you’re here, pop on a cheeky bid…you know you want to!