The 1992 edition of the Camel Trophy ran for more than 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from Manaus in Brazil to Georgetown in Guyana. No fewer than 16 teams entered the grueling expedition, and every single one of them fielded the Land Rover Discovery 200Tdi with extensive mods.
Chassis number SALLJGMF8JA017131 is one of those off-road warriors. Driven by Dan Amon and Jim West, the works truck “might be the coolest car listed on Cars & Bids,” according to Doug DeMuro. Currently sitting at $14,200 after many bids, the body-on-frame utility vehicle shows only 29,690 kilometers (18,449 miles) on the odometer despite its venerable age.
Purchased by the second private owner in 2018, the first-generation Discovery received brand-new batteries and an oil change in November 2020. Be that as it may, whoever bids the most on this piece of Land Rover history will have to invest a lot of money into repairs. That's because the turbo diesel smokes under acceleration, the suspension is noisy, the brakes are soft, rust has built up, and the cargo door opens exclusively from the inside.
At one point during a training expedition, the Camel Trophy works truck was completely submerged, exacerbating the inherent rust problems of the Discovery from the 1992 model year. Dry-rotted tires, a misaligned hood, faded paintwork, peeling decals, a broken turn indicator, many scratches, just as many scuffs, and stains on the upholstery also need to be mentioned.
Titled in Florida, this diamond in the rough is certain to fetch a high price by the end of the online auction on May 3rd. In addition to the vehicle, which can be restored to its former glory without too big of a headache thanks to the wide availability of OEM replacement parts and third-party alternatives, the seller also offers a bucketload of memorabilia from the Camel Trophy.
Those include promo items, books, magazines, and team clothing worn by Team USA. Don’t, however, expect blistering performance from this old-school overlander because the 2.5-liter turbo diesel of the Discovery I was originally rated at merely 111 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm) of torque.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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