The Camel Trophy off-road competition, held from 1980-2000, played a pivotal role in Land Rover’s success and put the company at the forefront of vehicle exploration. The event saw competitors drive specially prepared Land Rovers across some of the harshest environments on Earth, including Mongolia, Siberia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Borneo. Land Rovers finished all the identically prepared competition vehicles (first using the Defender, and later the Discovery and the Freelander) in Camel’s iconic yellow livery, and today are highly prized due to their rarity and historical significance. You can only imagine my excitement when this “time- warp,” ultra-low-mileage (28,000 miles) 1997 Land Rover Discovery Mongolia Camel Trophy edition appeared on our forum, complete with the original tools, accessories, pacer trip (used during the event to measure speed, time, and distance) , and more. The standard model is highly regarded for its go-anywhere performance and is a popular option on our forum. Recent examples include this Discovery I 300Tdi pop-top camper, a 2000 overland build, and a 2001 Discovery II. This platform is also a favorite with the team here at Expedition Portal; they chose one as an Overland Journal project vehicle that is showcased in Exploring the Prescott Backcountry on Expedition Portal’s YouTube channel. If you’d like to know more about the Camel Trophy and the part played by the Discovery, check out this documentary on YouTube.
From the Seller:
“This [Camel Trophy Discovery] is in time-warp condition, original and unrestored. [It] was used as an event management vehicle in Mongolia during the 1997 event and was owned by Global Event Management (GEM). In 1998, it was used for the [competitor] selection process in Sweden for the [Camel Trophy] Tierra Del Fuego event. The [original] 1997 Superwinch was replaced by a Warn winch and livery. If you know these vehicles, you’ll also know their significance in the Land Rover world.”
1997 Land Rover Discovery 300Tdi
The Discovery is fitted with the legendary 300Tdi motor that produces a modest 111 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque but is known for being long-lived and relatively economical. A dependable engine is mated with excellent go-anywhere capability thanks to 4WD, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, high and low range, and a fording depth of up to 19.7 inches deep. This 4WD is not exceptionally luxurious but includes power steering and a CB radio. This Camel Trophy edition showcases additional off-road features such as a snorkel, skid plates, a winch, an air compressor, a bull bar, and extra recovery points.
Distinguishing Features
- Roof rack
- Bullbar with lighting
- Warn winch
- Recovery boards
- Skid plates
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires
This 1997 Land Rover Discovery Mongolia Camel Trophy is listed for $42,500 and is currently located in the United Kingdom. Check the full vehicle specifications via the original Expedition Portal forum post here.
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