LR Disco 4 completes "journey of discovery"

[haven]

The Land Rover factory just built the 1 millionth Discovery model. To celebrate, and to demonstrate the Disco's versatility, LR sent three Discos, including # 1,000,000, off on a "Journey of Discovery," an 8000 mile jaunt across Europe and Central Asia to Beijing, China. The team will follow a small part of the route taken by a Land Rover team in 1955.

From the photo above, it looks like preparations for the trip include a roof rack and somewhat more aggressive tires.

The LR team's goal is to arrive in China in time for the Beijing Auto show in seven weeks. A second goal of the trip is to raise £1million (GBP) for the international federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, a long-time partner and beneficiary of Land Rover.

I expect that LR has arranged for journalists to accompany the team for portions of the trip. So I expect more details to be made public over the weeks to come.

Here's the LR web page announcing the trip.

http://www.landrover.com/gl/en/lr/1-millionth-discovery/english/

 

[haven]

Here's a video that describes the 1955 trip from London to Singapore, with interviews and film of the Land Rover Series 1 trucks. The video goes on to interview a couple of the participants in the current drive to Beijing.

 

[haven]

And here's a side view of the 1 millionth Discovery, provided by Land Rover

 

[haven]

The 8000 mile drive from Birmingham, England to Beijing, China was completed April 26. The vehicles completed the trip without mechanical incident. The team was delayed by a snowed-in mountain pass on the border between Uzbekistan and China.

Press release and photos here:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/02/land-rover-completes-8-000-mile-journey-of-discovery-from-birmin

The participants posted a number of Youtube videos about the trip.

2012 Voyage of Discovery introduction


Reflection on 1956 overland trip to China


Salzburg, Austria

 

[haven]

More videos

Visit to Soviet-era submarine base, Ukraine


Moscow


Aral Sea - Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan

 

[haven]

Still more videos

Nukus art gallery, Uzbekistan


Into the Wild - Uzbekistan


Kumtag Desert Park, Shanshan, China

 

[haven]

Final videos

Driving in China


Great Wall of China


Arrival in Beijing

 

[discotdi]

It's so disappointing to me that LR, like all big companies has given in to the lure of China. A Communist country that defies the international world at every turn and treats its own people appallingly, simply for more profits. Ford just announced it will spend $1.6 billion to build two new factories. Why not spend that money here? We the West have given China this power through the greed. So unfortunate. Soapbox time sorry.

 

[DreamingOfExpeditions]

It's so disappointing to me that LR, like all big companies has given in to the lure of China. A Communist country that defies the international world at every turn and treats its own people appallingly, simply for more profits. Ford just announced it will spend $1.6 billion to build two new factories. Why not spend that money here? We the West have given China this power through the greed. So unfortunate. Soapbox time sorry.

Some would argue that the best cure for oppressive states is a middle class. Middle class people want things like rovers and the like. They are hard pressed to give them up and make for a more democratic society. Its a gradual revolution but one none the less. The worst thing we could have done was embargo such as Cuba. That's kept the Castros in power more than anything. See North Korea also.

 

[Funrover]

I would have loved to been on that voyage! I am glad they did something, while not as rough as in the past, to take the Rovers out!

 

[J-man]

Weak. Nothing like rover journeys of the past......now just a bunch of khaki wearing business men going for a drive.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

J Man what'd you expect log bridges and floating Discovery's across rivers with pontoons? Maybe knee deep mud and 20 men digging out one Rover at a time? I know that's what Land Rover brings to my mind, but that's a time come and gone. Let's just be glad they got off pavement these days. If I were a millionaire I'd bring back Camel Trophy but aside from the Defender I wouldn't expect too many LR's to compete, and the only sporting events would be getting the vehicles moving again.