FlyingPete
Well-Known Member
There's been a few ideas over the years that either never made it into production, or were just never considered. Had some of these gone into production, I reckon they would have sold well.
The 'Llama' is one that came few years too early. The only engine with enough grunt was the V8, and the military wanted diesel. Had it been a few years later, the 200tdi would have been an obvious match for what is effectively a forward-control 110.
The Discovery had 3-door, 5-door and 3-door commercial variants. All that was missing from the lineup was a pickup truck. This could have been achieved relatively simply by modifying the 3-door body and adding a drop-down tailgate from a Range Rover. Multiple custom builds and a couple of kit conversions show what could have been.
Alternatively, a chassis-cab design could have taken the old HCPU tub. Not quite as neat-looking but the chassis-cab would have had other applications as well.
By using Discovery-derived bodywork on the longer-wheelbase 110 and 127-inch chassis, a high-capacity version and a crew cab could also have been possible. I think that with a few extra variants, the Discovery could conceivably have replaced the 90/110 as the 'new' Land Rover, and things would of course be very different today.
Any other 'neverwas' Landys out there?
The 'Llama' is one that came few years too early. The only engine with enough grunt was the V8, and the military wanted diesel. Had it been a few years later, the 200tdi would have been an obvious match for what is effectively a forward-control 110.
The Discovery had 3-door, 5-door and 3-door commercial variants. All that was missing from the lineup was a pickup truck. This could have been achieved relatively simply by modifying the 3-door body and adding a drop-down tailgate from a Range Rover. Multiple custom builds and a couple of kit conversions show what could have been.
Alternatively, a chassis-cab design could have taken the old HCPU tub. Not quite as neat-looking but the chassis-cab would have had other applications as well.
By using Discovery-derived bodywork on the longer-wheelbase 110 and 127-inch chassis, a high-capacity version and a crew cab could also have been possible. I think that with a few extra variants, the Discovery could conceivably have replaced the 90/110 as the 'new' Land Rover, and things would of course be very different today.
Any other 'neverwas' Landys out there?
