By Theodore Opara

Land Rover’s most decorated 4×4, the Discovery has completed a historic 50-day 10,000 mile marathon expedition from Birmingham (United Kingdom) to Beijing (China).

The Discovery hit a million mark production mark early this year and Land Rover used the millionth Discovery for the expedition to raise £1 million for its Global Humanitarian Partner, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Land Rover says, it would be using the Goodwood Festival of speed to celebrate the conclusion of the journey of Discovery.

The exceptional achievements of the Discovery provide the focus for Land Rover’s activities, helping celebrate production of the model having passed the one million milestone. The enduring success of Discovery will be represented by the latest Discovery 4 on display and in off-road action, while Land Rover’s unmissable new stand will recreate the Solihull production line where the car is built.

Discovery has picked up more than 200 awards around the world and last year saw record sales of almost 45,000 units across 170 worldwide markets. It also stands as an excellent example of UK design, engineering and manufacturing, with 83 per cent of production being exported from its West Midlands manufacturing base.

*Land rover

The Land Rover Discovery 4 is one of the world’s most practical vehicles – it can seat seven passengers, has a load space volume of up to 2,500 litres and is packed with technology including Land Rover’s award-winning Terrain Response System, which adapts the vehicle to respond to differing terrains and driving conditions including snow and sand.

The success of the Discovery alongside other Land Rover models has helped to create a positive momentum at the company’s Solihull operations. The facility now employs around 6,000 people following a recruitment drive launched six month ago, boosting the workforce by 20% to support its expansion plans.

Returning to the Festival of Speed for the seventh consecutive year, Land Rover promises plenty to engage visitors with its vehicle display, off-road demonstration opportunities and the chance to win prizes in a “build your own Discovery” competition.

Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a unique event that gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Discovery 4.

“We are particularly proud of our role in British manufacturing and this is reflected in our new festival stand, which gives a flavour of our Solihull production. Land Rover is a long-established supporter of the Festival of Speed and we are pleased to be adding to the special character of the occasion.”