BOB - The first Land Rovers I saw were traversing Korea in '54. The Brits had a few detachments of troops there and if an American GI driving a Jeep came across a Tommy driving a Land Rover out on the back roads, it was a sure invitation for an impromptu road race. TOM - I've seen pictures of those, Dad, and they were sure homely and unmistakable beasts. Land Rover TV ads show these machines crashing through jungle thickets and fording streams, and judging from the construction of the Discovery, I believe the shots are accurate. Nearly 30 dealers around the country have transformed their stores into shops with a safari motif.
Some stores even have their own off-road training course in the back lot.
The suspension has extra long travel and coil springs for rolling across boulders and twisting terrain, and this feature incidentally makes the ride on pavement very smooth. It was originally a 215 cubic-inch Buick design that the British bought when GM abandoned it as a lost cause in '63. But over the years, Rover has worked out the bugs, expanded it to 241 inches and now it's a very reliable unit - but with only 182 horsepower, it's a bit light on power for such a heavy machine. The Discovery is built like a tank and obviously not meant just for impressing the peasants. And with those seats folded up against the walls and the center seats folded flat, there's almost enough storage space to carry an upright piano.