Book Review: Land Rover Discovery, 1989-1998

Well, we just passed the 20th anniversary of the Land Rover Discovery - 1989 - 2009.  This book covers the first half of that period and has tons of information especially about its original conception and the history of bringing it to market.  Sometimes dry even for the Land Rover enthusiast, overall it is still an excellent and interesting read.

After discussing the history of how the Discovery came to be, the author goes on to discuss its evolution through the years, introduction to North America, and Project Tempest - the Discovery II.  I liked how the author really dug into the engineering and design issues with the Discovery and the behind the scenes glimpses into what life working at Land Rover might have been like.  The chapter on modified or adapted Discovery's, including a convertible version, was also a treat.

The book has no index but does include several appendixes with handy technical information on the Land Rover Discovery.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 -- Genesis -- The origins of Discovery

Chapter 2 -- Project Jay -- Design, development and prototypes

Chapter 3 -- Becoming Established -- Discovery, 1989-1991

Chapter 4 -- Broader Horizons -- From 1991 to 1996

Chapter 5 -- The Romulus Project -- A facelift for 1995

Chapter 6 -- Moving On Up -- Discovery 1994-1998

Chapter 7 -- Across the Titanic -- Discovery in North America, 1994-1998

Chapter 8 -- The Tempest Project -- Redeveloping a class leader

Chapter 9 -- Special Derivatives -- Adapted Discoverys since 1989

Chapter 10 -- Discovery In Action -- Off-road driving and events

Chapter 11 -- Your Own Discovery -- Buying and owning

Appendix A -- Technical Specifications

Appendix B -- Chassis Number Sequences

Appendix C -- Production Totals

Appendix D -- Discovery Performance Figures

Softcover, about 9.4 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches.

Overall, I highly recommend it, especially if you drive a Land Rover Discovery.  The main change I would like to see is an updated and expanded version to cover from 1999 to present.  I would give it 4 out of 5 stars as it is, and I suspect an updated version - if ever published - would garner 5 of 5 stars easily.  If you have read it, please rate it as well, and leave your comments below.