Japanese lifestyle-orientated 4x4s but was created on a tight budget which
means underneath it’s largely classic Range Rover.
Launched in 1989, the Discovery was produced in its original form until
the extensively modifi ed Discovery 2 arrived in 1998 but body rot means
few have survived. The car was facelifted in 1994 when the distinctive
Conran interior was changed for a more conventional airbag dashboard
to satisfy the US market and these cars are identifi ed at a glance by the
larger headlights.
The pre-facelift cars are thin on the ground, most having succumbed to
body rot and of these it’s the V8s which are the most scarce, many having
surrendered their engines when the MoT got too expensive. Prices are all
over the place but for a presentable example you can expect to pay under
£2000, with really nice examples rising to around £5000.
ONE TO BUY
1997 Discovery V8i
As we went to press in late February,
the internet couldn’t provide a single pre-
facelift Discovery with V8 power, making
this 1997 example offered at £2295
one of the earliest around. With the later
injected 3.9 engine, it’s a fi ve-door seven-seater and boasts just 56,000
miles. It doesn’t have the mad Conran dashboard but it is a very usable and
practical car without the niggles with the air suspension which the Disco 2
can suffer More details from http://www.kingsheathcarsales.co.uk.
JAGUAR XJ8
create a new model. The restyled nose and boot restored some of the
classic Jaguar design cues – this was after all an era when retro was all the
rage – but inside the ambience was still very much XJ40.
The result, codenamed X300 is regarded by many as the car the XJ40
should always have been and was a very credible product. Impressively,
the XJ40 design was stretched even further in 1997 when the new V8
engine developed for the XK8 was dropped in. At this point the design was
tweaked still further, fi nally losing the last vestiges of XJ40: the interior
was thoroughly revised with the ‘horseshoe’ central console and generally
upgraded switchgear, trim and electrics.
The 280 bhp V8 engine was a winner in the XJ, the cars gaining the
XJ8 badge for the fi rst time. Today though they’re an underrated modern
classic which represents very good value for a car which offers very
modern levels of performance and refi nement.
ONE TO BUY
A three-owner car from 1999, this XJ8
has received the later cam chain tensioner
which is a sensible upgrade to these
engines and comes with a full history. It’s
the 3.2-litre rather than the 4-litre but still
good for 211 bhp and 138 mph. More
details from Days Autos at http://www.powerglide.webeden.co.uk.
TVR CHIMAERA
3980cc 240 bhp 144 mph
The so-called ‘X308’ generation of Jaguar saloon is the ultimate evolution
of the design which began life as the XJ40. The story goes that when Ford
arrived as Jaguar’s new owners in 1989, an ambitious all-new replacement
was on the cards but with investment in production facilities urgently
required it was put on ice and the XJ40 was effectively top and tailed to
£7000-£17,000
4495cc 285 bhp 160 mph
Perhaps surprisingly, the Chimaera was marketed as a softer, more
mainstream alternative to the uncompromising Griffi th and both cars
represented a new era for TVR. With a tubular chassis inherited from the
older ‘wedge’ models, the Griffi th and Chimaera used all-new fi breglass
bodies and boasted a more production car style with a high quaity
fi nish. Power came from the Rover V8 engine, rated at 240 bhp in its
entry-level 4-litre form and rising to a 345 bhp 5-litre option. All provide
electrifying performance with a soundtrack to match and these cars can
be surprisingly practical to run. Any competent Land Rover specialist will
know their way around the engine and the TVR Car Club has all the parts
interchange information you might need for keeping it up together.
ONE TO BUY
It’s rare to fi nd any Chimaera with six-
fi gure mileage but even so this example
at TVR MADS in Yorkshire is an unusually
low-mileage example at just 25,700. In
Monza Red rather than the shouty yellow,
it’s a great-looking car and at £11,990
is priced very reasonably. It’s also the 16th example produced. More
details from http://www.tvr-mads.co.uk.
Classic Car Mart Spring 2016 73
Best of British: 1980s