With the Discovery Series I, the British off-road vehicle manufacturer Land Rover launched a new model line in 1989 that was supposed to be cheaper than the previous Defender and Range Rover vehicle types. Since Japanese off-road vehicle manufacturers were already pushing into the European market, quick action was required and in just three years Mike Donovan and his team developed a vehicle that, according to specifications, was to be placed between DM 35,000 and DM 50,000 - the Discovery. In October 1989, the Discovery was presented at a price of DM 45,350. With 353,843 Series I models built, it even topped the popular Defender. It was probably also because the new Rover appealed to a different target group, as it combined good on-road and off-road driving characteristics. The successful Discovery then went into the second round with the Series II. In November 1998 Rover presented two new all-wheel drive variants, the light alloy 4.0 liter V8 with 136 kW (185 hp)
and the 2.5-liter Td5 diesel with 102 kW (139 hp). However, the 4.6-liter V8 with 162 kW (220 hp) produced five years later was not available on the German market. In addition to the standard ABS (anti-lock braking system) with the then new braking system, there was also a four-speed automatic transmission for an additional charge of 4,000 DM. With the same wheelbase, the Series II grew by 6.5 cm in length. A third row of seats was also available as an option in the interior, so that seven seats were available. At the end of 2002, the Discovery underwent another extensive facelift.