land rover series 3 road trip

Car Reviews

Land rover series iii (1971 – 1985) review.

Land Rover Series III (1971 – 1985) At A Glance

The Land Rover Series III was a masterful facelift overseen by Range Rover designer David Bache of a product that continued to sell well across the world, despite increasingly tough opposition from a number of rivals, most notably Toyota.

Series III improvements are easy to spot thanks to the headlamps being moved to the front wings and updated stylised plastic radiator grille. The updated – more safety conscious – interior and all synchromesh gearbox acknowledged the opposition was catching up, and the arrival of overdrive catered for those who needed their Land Rovers for serious on-road work. Despite this, they were still noisy, cramped and not terribly good on asphalt.

It was during the Series III production in 1979 that the Rover V8 engine (in low compression form) was added to the range. It was export-only at first, but came to the UK to pick up a small but loyal fan base.

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The Land Rover LR3 Is the Most Underrated Overlanding Value

If you want a stock rig for serious off-pavement adventures, an old Land Rover is a better option than you may think.

I caught the bug as a kid. There was a pristine, silver Land Rover Discovery II I spotted every day on my walk home from school, and I was powerless to its charm. Everything from the boxy, stepped roof to the spare tire suggested adventure. But I grew up. I heard enough horror stories about old Land Rovers to rid myself of genuine desire. Until two weeks ago.

Because while many companies were building off-road vehicles in the early Aughts, few were building trucks with the mix of off-road capability, hauling prowess, and space required for proper off-the-grid endurance. Modify a 4Runner, F-150, or Tacoma and you might be able to make it good, but your only factory options available under $20,000 are the 100-Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX, Lexus GX470, and the Land Rover lot. Given that any Toyota truck with 4WD priced under $20,000 tends to have 200,000 miles on it, I’ve long been searching for another option.

No Land Rover will match a Toyota when it comes to reliability. But Toyotas also aren’t magic; They are still subject to the same entropy that will eventually consume us all. A 20-year-old Land Cruiser is still a 20-year-old truck, and if you use it hard things will break. When they do, it gets expensive quickly. Rare, expensive, heavy SUVs are expensive to maintain.

That rule applies to the LR3, too. Make no mistake, any Land Rover will be more expensive to maintain and less reliable than the equivalent Toyota. But for the same money, you aren’t getting an equivalent Toyota. You are getting an older, higher-mileage Toyota, potentially owned by a person so convinced of their truck’s invincibility that they do nothing but change the oil. For $10,000, you can easily find an LR3 with around 100,000 miles on the clock. Shop smart and you can find a pavement prince , owned by some rich Orange County family that did all the maintenance at the dealership.

It will need work, as will the Toyota. The Land Rover may need more, but you also have $10,000 leftover to confront that. And when you have the budget to fix things, you have the budget to break them, and therefore the opportunity to more readily push the limits on your adventures.

When you do so, you will discover the reason why Land Rover Discoveries are still used for real work all over the world: They are sensational.

My adventure started in a black one, with white current-generation Defender steelies wrapped in Firestone Destination MT2 mud-terrain tires. It had an aftermarket controller for the LR3’s standard air suspension, a full-size spare mount on the tailgate, a roof tent, and the upgraded rubber, but the Land Rover was mechanically stock. It showed no signs of advanced age, despite 160,000-odd miles on the odometer. It was also a far better highway car than any 4Runner and in some ways better than my old 100-Series, with a great Harman Kardon audio system and phenomenal seats. The mud-terrains were a hair too aggressive for this truck, resulting in some light swimminess on the interstate, but still plenty quiet for all-day cruising.

As we got out to air down, though, I wasn’t as infatuated as I expected to be. I like old, shitty trucks, and the LR3 was so nice and refined it felt almost modern. Relaxing, sure, but not the charmer I expected. Soon after rolling onto the rocks, though, that changed.

Because the LR3 is not a toy, or an old shitbox to beat up on the trail. It is a tool, and one that works exceptionally.

The four-wheel independent suspension is sacrilegious to enthusiast off-roaders, for instance, because its limited articulation makes it easier to lift a wheel. But the LR3 can also extend one air spring to find purchase, or active a special “extraction height” mode to get unstuck. If a wheel is in the air, it’ll automatically lock the center or—if optioned—rear locking differential to vector power where it needs to go. For the open front differential, it’ll prod the brakes to direct torque to its most useful destination.

It’s complicated, and bizarre, but the end result couldn’t be more simple. Keep your foot in it and the Land Rover will get you through. More than a 100-Series with A-Trac, more than a 4Runner with a locker, this thing will sort everything out for you.

That theory was tested the following morning. Rain had surprised us, pummeling our tents, soaking through our coats, and turning the idyllic Washington forest trail into a mud-slicked nail-biter. I was also switching from the infinite-grip cheat code of Firestone mud-terrains to the less aggressive XT all-terrain. I’d had plenty of experience doing 500-mile highway trips in my Tahoe wearing XTs, but I’d never attempted more than a dirt road with that. Now I had to tackle slick rock, mud, and standing water, with a vehicle I didn’t own.

Within an hour the worry seemed absurd. Despite tight, rocky, muddy trails, the LR3 sauntered along without drama or stress. Its narrow, tall cabin provides not only exceptional cargo space but a tidy enough silhouette to navigate forest trails. Its engine oil pump, braking system, and cooling system are all built to function at the extreme angles you often encounter on the trail. Its air springs give you up to 10 inches of clearance up front and 14 out back, and maximum approach and departure angles of 37.2 and 29.6 degrees, respectively, according to an in-period MotorTrend test. No stock Toyota can compete with those numbers.

Even if they could, the LR3 still does a better job of managing its grip. Automatic control of the locking differentials sounds like more overcomplicated nonsense, but the British Billy Goat manages its diffs better than I ever could. Instead of locking them before and after every obstacle, or having to back up to engage a locker after a failed attempt, I just attacked any feature and trusted the truck to figure it out. Working with quality all-terrain tires like the XTs, the Land Rover seems utterly unconcerned. Even on wet rock, even on muddy slopes, even when I would have normally turned around, I trusted the tires and the truck and came through unscathed.

Without back-to-back experience I can’t say whether the XTs are better than the competition. What I can say, though, is that they’d never be the limiting factor for me. They’re capable enough for the most treacherous trail I’d ever take my personal rig up, utterly quiet on the highway, and ridiculously durable; through three days of high- and low-speed off-roading, our 11-car group didn’t have a single tire issue. I swapped from the LR3 to an FJ Cruiser, then onto a Bronco . When we finished our scheduled wheeling, we added on a detour to a place called Moon Rocks, which looks more like Moab than Washington. I hopped in the Colorado ZR2 Bison.

As is tradition on an adventure, we bit off more than we could chew. What sounded like a quick aside became a slow, stuttering slog through the tightest trail we’d seen yet. What should have been one hour became three, and by the time we arrived at Moon Rocks we were supposed to already be at camp. Our new schedule had us arriving well after sunset. We had to do that same tight, technical trail before we lost the light, then do another hour on a steep, rutted dirt road up the mountain in the dark. Stress tightened my stomach, I was already fried. I grabbed the keys to the black LR3.

The trail that seemed so unwieldy in the long Chevy became easily passable. The slick sections unconcerning. The 40-mph dirt road climb soft and comfortable. I arrived, popped my roof tent, and used the aftermarket controller to automatically level the truck’s air suspension.

These are the things that turn a truck into a companion, not a toy. An LR3 is not just capable, it’s built with real use in mind. It’s got room to sleep in, a giant cargo area, serious hauling capacity, and a split-folding tailgate. Its seats support all-day endurance. Its doors are double-sealed to keep out dust and water. It will break, of course, but you rarely hear stories of these things stranding people. They will not only get you there; they will make you feel secure along the way. You won’t just sleep in one. You’ll sleep well.

I awoke to a stunning view of Mt. Rainier. A forest below the peak, stretching out forever. A stillness in the air.

Surely, there are cheaper, simpler, more exciting vehicles that could have gotten me there. Yes, the 160k-mile LR3 did trigger a suspension fault code when we used the aftermarket system to lift it past its maximum height. And yes, the 180k-mile Green one needed a bit of bottled water to replace some missing coolant. But when it really mattered, I knew the LR3 would get me there. It wasn’t just capable, it was reassuring. Not the most eventful form of the journey, but one of the best ways to reach any destination.

Mack Hogan previously served as the reviews editor for Road & Track. He founded the automotive reviews section of CNBC during his sophomore year of college and has been writing about cars ever since.

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Land Rover Series III buying guide, history and review

Words: Matthew Hayward

There was a time, not that long ago, that a good Series III Land Rover was a bit of a bargain. At anywhere between £1500 and £5000, you could have been driving around in an authentic leaf-sprung Land Rover, with most of the character of an earlier model – only with better parts availability and usability. The question we have to ask today is whether or not a SIII still represents good value at three times the price.

Since the 1980s, Series I Landies have been treated more as a classic vehicle than a working one, with prices for decent examples rising as a result. Launched in 1948, to a basic formula of leaf-sprung suspension, steel box-section chassis and aluminium panels, it remained fundamentally unchanged through to the final Series IIIs in 1984. While 1958’s Series II made things slightly more usable on the road, it was the launch of the Series III in 1971 that brought in a few minor cosmetic and mechanical changes.

The expert opinion

Julian Shoolheifer , expert classic Land Rover restorer, explains why they were left behind for so long: ‘It wasn’t as modern as a coil-sprung vehicle, but the headlights in the front wings combined with a larger plastic grille, a plastic dash and more modern plastic surround to the instruments meant that it was considered to be a poor relation for many years. It wasn’t really the one to have, and for those reasons they were roughly a third of the price of an SI or II.’

People soon latched on to the fact that the SIII offered the original Land Rover experience for a fraction of the cost of an earlier car. Shoolheifer continues: ‘I also think that as a younger generation has got in, the cosmetic differences are far less important. To an extent, that type of plastic dash and the grille now look classic in their own right.

‘Series III prices have since risen on the coat tails of the earlier models, which is inevitable, and the higher values have started to reflect the cost of restoration. Now they’re all approaching 40 years old, there are fewer really nice low-mileage unrestored examples. So more are starting to be restored, and they’re starting to become more comprehensive. The hours involved in a full rebuild are largely similar to a SI/II’s, which puts a full restoration at £30,000-45,000.’

The pay-off is that there are now more parts available, especially new/old stock. The mechanical parts spanned such a long time that availability is still very good, but ‘things like good dashtops are getting hard to find, as is the later County trim’.

There’s less snobbery about modifications, too. Tdi engine swaps are popular, and suit the car well. ‘As time goes on, the very best original ones will increase in value. Land Rovers were always modified when new, however, and if they’re well done, it doesn’t affect the value too much at the middle to lower end of the market. As with everything, though, with an eye on future values, I would stick to original spec.’

It’s by far the easiest of all the Series Land Rovers to live with, and is still the entry point. But which one to buy? ‘For the average buyer, stick with a short- wheelbase 2.25 petrol. If you want something special, my favourite would be the V8-engined Stage 1, which is a great thing to own.’

Land Rover SIII common problems

• The SIII is arguably as strong as any of the models that preceded it, though gearbox synchromesh is known to wear. Some parts are difficult to find for a rebuild.

• Take mileage figures with a pinch of salt; condition (notably, of bulkhead and chassis, which rot) is the number one rule for buying, with history a close second.

• The best cars have been well-maintained by all owners. They can soldier on with bad brakes and worn steering, so work can get put off. An MoT is worthwhile, even though most Series IIIs are exempt.

• Because values have risen, there are a number of nasty vehicles dressed up to look nicer than they are. Be careful.

What to pay?

What was once in the ‘good usable’ £1500-5000 bracket will today cost you around £8000-15,000. Projects can be found anywhere from £2500, but tread carefully! A genuinely nice original car is going to be £25,000; something truly exceptional with perfect history could fetch even more.

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Your classic: land-rover series iii.

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Land Rover Series III (1971 to 1985)

The Land Rover Series III was introduced in 1971. The Series III was the last generation of the original Land Rover built before the model was rebranded as the Land Rover Defender . The Series III featured a raft of upgrades over its production, helping create variants that were better equipped for passenger comfort, although the Land Rover was still the incredibly capable off-road vehicle it had always been. Production of the Series III Land Rover ended in 1985.

Q: What is the top sale price of a Land Rover Series III?

A: The highest recorded sale was $93,500 for a 1980 Land Rover Defender 110 on Oct 17 2020.

Q: What was the lowest recorded sale price for a Land Rover Series III?

A: The lowest recorded sale price was $800 for a 1976 land rover 109 sw series iii on Aug 6 2022.

Q: What is the average sale price of a Land Rover Series III?

A: The average price of a Land Rover Series III is $22,610.

Q: What years was the Land Rover Series III sold?

A: The Land Rover Series III was sold for model years 1971 to 1985.

Model years for Land Rover Series III (1971 to 1985)

Showing 24 of 416 related listings

1983 Land Rover Series 3 88" County

Lot 49d0: 1983 Land Rover Series 3 88" County

• 72,000 mi TMU
• Location: Oxfordshire, GBR
• Originality: Original & Highly Original  Vehicles that are original or close to original factory specifications, irrespective of condition. May include vehicles that have minor, removable modifications such as aftermarket wheels, exhaust, or accessories such as cargo/roof rack, stereos, etc.
• Transmission: Manual
• Driver side: RHD

1973 Land Rover Series III Custom

Lot 240412: 1973 land rover series iii custom.

• 23,620 mi TMU
• Location: Fenton, Missouri, USA
• Originality: Modified  Vehicles with a period-correct engine and body, with multiple removable modifications, or a few significant modifications such as increased displacement, added performance equipment (turbo, supercharger, headers), transmission swaps, bumpers, or body wraps. Modified vehicles can generally be returned to original factory specifications.
• Driver side: LHD

1972 Land Rover Series 3 Hardtop Diesel

Lot 13810: 1972 land rover series 3 hardtop diesel.

• Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA

1972 Land Rover Series III LWB Pickup

Lot 6632-dfw: 1972 land rover series iii lwb pickup.

• 60,074 mi TMU
• Location: Fort Worth, TX, USA

1979 Land Rover Series III

Lot 19184-pc: 1979 land rover series iii.

• 99,400 km (61,764 mi) TMU
• Location: Denver, Colorado, USA

1973 Land Rover 88 Series

Lot 17302-pc: 1973 land rover 88 series.

• Location: Elyria, Ohio, USA

1973 Land Rover Series III

Lot a1719: 1973 land rover series iii.

• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

1980 Land Rover Series 3

Lot tpa2813: 1980 land rover series 3.

• Location: Hillsborough County, Florida, USA

1984 Land Rover Series III 88

Lot 59993: 1984 land rover series iii 88.

• Location: Derbyshire, GBR

1982 Land Rover Series III 88"

Lot 29866: 1982 land rover series iii 88".

• Location: Winchester, GBR

1974 Land Rover Series III 88"

Lot 7d19: 1974 land rover series iii 88".

• 14,454 mi TMU

Lot 29806: 1982 Land Rover Series III 88"

• 8,568 mi TMU
• Location: London, GBR

1981 Land Rover Series III 109"

Lot 29775: 1981 land rover series iii 109".

• 57,763 mi TMU
• Location: Andover, GBR

1978 Land Rover Series III 88 Pick up

Lot 84969249: 1978 land rover series iii 88 pick up.

• 58,000 km (36,040 mi)
• Location: BEL

1972 Land Rover 109 Serie III

Lot 85257799: 1972 land rover 109 serie iii.

• 63,853 km (39,676 mi) TMU
• Location: NLD

1972 Land Rover Series III 88"

Lot 29725: 1972 land rover series iii 88".

• 48,357 mi TMU
• Location: King's Lynn and West Norfolk, GBR

1979 Land Rover 88 Series III Ensambladora Automotriz Diesel

Lot 152073: 1979 land rover 88 series iii ensambladora automotriz diesel.

• 17,000 km (10,563 mi) TMU
• Location: Amarillo, Texas, USA

1980 Land Rover 109 V8

Lot 85284741: 1980 land rover 109 v8.

• 90,209 km (56,053 mi)

1983 Land Rover Series III 109" by Coolnvintage

Lot 29532: 1983 land rover series iii 109" by coolnvintage.

• 744 km (462 mi) TMU
• Location: LUX
• Originality: Custom  Highly modified and/or Restored vehicles with uprated, non-period correct engine swaps, or engines from outside the original manufacturer, and/or vehicles with significant body customizations or conversions. Generally, Custom vehicles cannot be easily returned to their original factory specifications.

1979 Land Rover 88 Series III Lightweight Diesel

Lot 151271: 1979 land rover 88 series iii lightweight diesel.

• 98,000 km (60,894 mi) TMU
• Location: Eden, UT, USA

1973 Land Rover 88 Series III

Lot 151134: 1973 land rover 88 series iii.

• Location: Mountain View, California, USA

Lot 29339: 1982 Land Rover Series III 88"

• 80,363 mi TMU

1983 Land Rover Series 3 88"

Lot 3d65: 1983 land rover series 3 88".

• 41,175 mi TMU

Lot 150219: 1973 Land Rover 88 Series III

• 81,000 mi TMU
• Location: Town of Southold, New York, USA

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Home » ROAD TEST – SERIES 3 LAND ROVER

ROAD TEST – SERIES 3 LAND ROVER

Classics World’s Paul Wager test drives and reviews the Series 3 Land Rover…

As anyone with even half an ear to the classic car grapevine will know, since production of the Defender ended last year values of the iconic go-anywhere vehicle have radpily headed upwards.

As ever, the Defender has tended to pull the values of the earlier models up behind it, meaning that if you want an honestly priced example they’re getting harder to find, especially the ‘Series’ models.

We found this example at Gloucestershire dealer Mather where it looked very much at home nestled between an early four-door Range Rover and a Bentley Brooklands, its matt green paintwork giving it a no-nonsense military vibe.

In truth, despite its appearance it’s not a military Landy but hails from civvy street and is an example of the Series 3 Land Rover immediately preceding the 90 and 110 models which were the Defender in all but name.

Introduced in 1971, the Series 3 retained the traditional Land Rover appearance which had been introduced with the wing-mounted headlights back in 1968, although the mesh grille was replaced with a plastic item.

Underneath, the leaf-sprung suspension was little changed from the Series 1 and the ‘two-and-a-quarter’ petrol engine was continued little changed, although it received a five-bearing crank in 1980.

This was an era when the Land Rover was a cash cow for British Leyland and was woefully starved of investment, its continued sales proving the worth of the original design’s elegant simplicity.

This particular example dates from 1983 and despite its lack of showy additions often seen on later Defenders like tinted windows, bull bars and roof tents, it’s been the recipient of thousands in expenditure in recent years before the previous owner was forced to sell by a work posting to Australia.

It’s all been spent where it matters, with the chassis being sound and solid and the running gear being particularly well sorted. The Series 3 sports a set of later seats which are a massive upgrade in comfort and the canvas tilt has been recently replaced by a quality Exmoor item.

ON THE ROAD Although the instruments were repositioned in front of the driver and a plastic padded dash rail was introduced, the Series 3 is still the same spartan Landy inside – and, it has to be said, all the better for it. The door’s simple slam lock needs a hefty pull to close it and the window is a simple sliding affair like the Mk1 Mini, while Land Rovers of this vintage still sported the functional vent flaps below the screen.

Before I set off in the Land Rover, Ben Mather commented that it was one of the best-driving examples he’d tried and he’s right. The 2.25-litre Rover lump isn’t exactly a paragon of refinement but this one proved surprisingly smooth in use, making the Land Rover easier to drive than the average Series 3. A look under the front showed it to be the military-spec ‘blue top’ unit, complete with what looks like a new Zenith carburettor.

The gearbox is as vague as Series Land Rovers always are, but with a bit of practice it becomes familiar and the brakes worked better than most ’80s Land Rovers I’ve experienced.

Those road tyres might not help when things get muddy but on tarmac they do make the Land Rover easier to keep on the straight and narrow than the big knobblies so often fitted for looks.

One thing I’d have to change though is the chains fitted to restrain the tailgate, which no doubt do the job admirably but jangle loudly over road bumps. A simply plastic sleeving over the chain would probably silence things but if that’s all you can find to complain about in a 34 year-old Land Rover then things are looking good.

VERDICT As we said, Land Rover values have been on the up for a while and Mather is asking just £6000 for this one which is an ideal compromise between vintage looks and modern driving ability. Certainly it needs nothing doing to it before pressing it into use – and with the top off and the screen folded down, there’s no better summer fun vehicle.

TECH SPEC Engine: 2286cc Power: 70 bhp Top speed: 66 mph Fuel consumption: 35 mpg Gearbox: four-speed manual

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10 of Land Rover’s biggest road trips: in pics

Adventure vicariously through the medium of LR’s classic off-road expeditions

1955 Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition

A pair of Series 1 Land Rovers were plucked straight from the production line – with a few mods, naturally – to transport six Oxford and Cambridge Uni students from London to Singapore.

Yep, elbows very much in, for this one – the desert between Damascus and Baghdad alone took 14 hours in quite hot temperatures. Upon reaching the ‘Ledo’ road between Burma and India, the crew had to keep an eye out for thieves and… headhunters. Not manic ad executives, but actual… headhunters. Yikes.

1972 Camel Trophy USSR

The first-gen Disco took on one thousand miles through the USSR as part of the Camel Trophy. And judging by that picture above, it took to it like a happy Labrador in a muddy pond.

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1972 trans-america expedition.

A pair of Rangies managed 18,000 miles spanning the length of America, from Alaska to Cape Horn. Indeed, it took a full 99 days to cover the Darien Gap alone. No word on how long it’d take one to traverse the treacherous and equally infamous Watford Gap.

1995 Hannibal Trail

This one recreated Hannibal’s journey from France to Italy on an elephant. The second-gen Range Rover was the modern equivalent and we’re not going to make any jokes about the analogy of elephants and Range Rovers, no siree.

Especially not when said Elepha- sorry, Range Rover, managed climbs of more than 3000 metres above sea level. Don’t make jokes. It won’t forget them.

1998 London to Paris

This one was a biggie, with two pre-production Discovery 2s travelling some 30,000km, taking on massive temperatures, road hazards, ‘gun-toting milita’, and – gasp – monkeys. Monkeys!

2006 G4 Challenge

Barring the fitment of – cue advertising voice – ‘Genuine Land Rover Accessories’! – these Disco 3s were standard, and spent 28 days travelling 4,000km across Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia.

2012 Journey of Discovery

This expedition deployed the actual 1,000,000th Discovery built – a fourth-gen car – taking on 8,000 miles across 50 days from Birmingham to Beijing. Unknown until now, most of those days were spent trying to navigate the Midlands' fearsome Spaghetti Junction*.

*Not really, but it wouldn’t be surprising.

2013 Silk Trail

Sure, you can go to Millbrook to test out your soon-to-be-released new motor. Or you can take it 16,800km from Solihull to Mumbai. Land Rover did just that with the then-new Range Rover Hybrid, though rest assured Millbrook is still fine. We think.

2017 Land Rover Experience Tour Peru

Not a bad view, eh? This one used the current Disco 5, taking in mountains, jungles and desert. Best not to look down, one suspects.

2020 Defender, Namibia

Yeah, we did this one too. Read the review of the rather excellent new Defender here , and watch our video of TG’s own Namibian adventure here . Also, look! An elephant!

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My LR4 - Musings on Long Road Trips

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• Start date Mar 9, 2020

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• Mar 9, 2020

TrinidadLR4

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So I am going on year 2 of owning my 2013 LR4. It has been a great experience for me, with very few(if any) reliability issues. I do 5k oil changes, did the LCAs, trans fluid+pan, both coolant crossover pipes+water pump(pre-emptively) and replaced the battery(also pre-emptively). Otherwise, it has been rock solid. I live in DC and have access to a mountain cabin in Snowshoe, WV which I go to frequently(winter, spring and summer). It is a 230 mile drive and I take the same exact route every time, which is 35% highway and 65% mountain roads. Some are very curvy, with 20mph curves, especially at the end of the drive. It never ceases to amaze me how great of a road-trip this vehicle is. The air suspension makes it float over bumps and in most curves and it can do things that such a heavy vehicle(~6300lbs with me+a few people, cargo and giant dog in the back) has no business doing. There are parts of the route where I average 85-90 on straight sections of mountain roads and its comfortable, quiet, brakes are strong and reassuring and it just makes me want to keep driving forever. Everything just meshes well together - the steering is precise and direct, the body structure is tight and the seats are soft and comfortable, yet supportive. The sport mode of the ZF trans is an absolute gem on these roads, keeping the gears reasonable and downshifting quickly for passing slow vehicles. While I still wish I had the 510hp SC engine(mostly to make passing 3-4 cars in a row easier), this V8 is rather decent. Also, this past Friday, I ended up driving through white-out blizzard conditions. While I had to keep the speed reasonable, it felt very confident and never gave me any issues. I truly look forward to every single road trip with this truck and just felt like sharing. It will be hard to find a true all-weather replacement for it once the time comes. I will want another one for sure. Maybe a late 2016 with the HD package and then add a pulley+tune to it. Who knows..  

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Discovery 3: Explore in comfort

Latest posts.

Increasing numbers of Defender owners are switching their allegiance to the Discovery 3. LRM investigates why…

They’re calling it the new Defender – and no wonder. Some enthusiasts are switching allegiance to a Land Rover that’s every bit as capable as a 90 or 110, but twice as comfortable, even more versatile and half the price (even though it doesn’t go rusty).

We’re talking about the Discovery 3, of course. When it was launched in 2004 , Land Rover fans were bowled over by its good looks and advanced specification, but were worried about all that electronic technology. What would it perform like a few years down the line, we wondered?

We needn’t have worried, because 14 years later it is going stronger than ever. So much so that folk who would once have considered no vehicle other than a Defender are now enjoying the advantages of D3 ownership. This includes seasoned off-roaders and dedicated adventurers, who are eager to embrace the benefits of the third-generation Disco.

What are those advantages?  • Value for money: Back in 2004 you could have bought two Defenders for the price of a Discovery 3. These days you could buy two D3s for the price of a Defender. This is because collectors are snapping up Defenders, pushing prices skywards, while a glut of secondhand Discovery  3s in the marketplace means values have fallen to an affordable level. • Towing: Discovery has long been the world’s best tow car and the D3 is no exception. • Off-road: Traction-enhancing technology keeps the Disco going where Defenders would struggle – and you don’t even have to be an expert off-roader. Just dial in the conditions on the Terrain Response and the D3’s electronic brain will do the rest. • Power: The TDV6 diesel engines are a revelation. Plus you get the option of an automatic gearbox (something you don’t get with Defender). • Versatility: You can seat seven adults in the three rows of forward-facing seats or you can fold down the rear rows and enjoy the carrying capacity of a Transit van. • Comfort: Even the Defender’s greatest fans will admit that their favourite vehicle is lacking when it comes to creature comforts. Not so with the luxurious Disco.

Meet the Cooper family But don’t just take our word for it, meet a family who are about to entrust their lives to a Discovery 3.  Ivan and Jen Cooper, along with their two young children, have just left their home in Cape Town, South Africa, for an epic road trip to Northern Europe, which will include driving the length of Africa. After a lot of deliberation, and the ownership of several Land Rovers, a dramatic event helped them decide that the Discovery 3 was the vehicle for the trip. 

Ivan, 49, served in the Royal Marines for 30 years, driving a lot of Land Rovers in the process. “I joined the Marines in 1986. The military uses all sorts of Land Rovers from 90s, 110s and a few Forward Controls in some places,” he recalls. “I have driven most types over the years – mostly 110s, but also a number of ‘pinkies’ (Pink Panthers).

“Jen and I met in Cape Town in 2012 after I had moved back to South Africa following my time in the military. Jen was studying for her law degree. We kept in touch after she returned to the US and then she decided to come back to South Africa at the end of 2012. From there, we decided to backpack from Cape Town to Europe in 2013, which started our love of overlanding.”

The couple were married in 2013 and have two children: Edmund, now three, and daughter Alandria (nicknamed Landi), who is about to celebrate her first birthday.

“As a family we have owned a Discovery 2 4.6 V8, Discovery 2 Td5, a Defender Puma 110 2.4, Defender 110 Td5 110, a Discovery 3 V8 HSE, a Range Rover V8 and our present Discovery 3 V8 HSE.

“Our favourite Defender was the 2003 Td5, which we extensively upgraded and travelled across Southern Africa, including a four-week long overland trip to Namibia, towing a one tonne trailer. It was unstoppable and returned us all home safely, including Jen who was six or seven months pregnant with Landi.”

A life-changing event In fact, the Coopers may well have chosen a Defender for their current overland adventure if had not been for a dramatic event in 2016, when Jen was pregnant with Landi. The couple were driving in convoy, with Ivan leading the way in his 110 and Jen following in her Discovery 2, when Ivan suddenly lost radio contact with his wife.

Ivan takes up the story: “For some reason, I got a seriously bad feeling, so I spun the 110 around and bolted back to ensure that they were okay. As I came over the crest in the road I saw total devastation before me: the Disco 2 was lying in the road with two of its wheels broken off around the hubs, rear springs popped out, and the roof rack off the car. I could see that the body of the Disco had taken a pounding and was severely misshapen, although still intact. 

“To be honest, as I looked at the car, I began to wonder if my family had made it out alive. Suddenly, as I jumped out of the 110, I saw Jen staggering around the Disco carrying Edmund and then dropped down to the ground upset that she had crashed her beloved Disco. 

“Edmund looked at me and said ‘Daddy, can you fix the Landy?’ ‘Not this time, son,’ was my reply.

“It turned out that the Disco had got into a pendulum effect on its back end on the corrugated road surface. When Jen tried to correct it she over-corrected and hit a sand bank on the passenger side of the car. The sand slowed the rear end of the car dramatically, causing it to dig in and roll three times from side to side down the road.

“Of course, my biggest worry at this point was Edmund, Jen and our unborn daughter. Jen was rushed to the hospital to check on the baby and, fortunately, everything was fine with her. The only injuries any of them sustained was to Jen, namely a few seat belt bruises and a little stiffness. Edmund was secure in his five-point child seat and was absolutely fine, with not even so much as a scratch.

“At the hospital, while we were waiting for the results of various tests, it suddenly struck me that perhaps we should call our unborn daughter Landi, as we had not yet decided on a name. Jen was adamant that we were not naming our daughter after a car, but a few days later, after she’d had time to think about things a little, she suggested that we call her Alandria, which meant of course she would almost certainly be nicknamed Landi! For us, the Disco 2 had saved all of their lives and it was, in my opinion, destiny that our daughter would be named accordingly.”

Finding and prepping the expedition vehicle  When it came to replacing the written-off Disco 2, there was only one choice of vehicle.

“The Disco 3 is incredibly strong,” says Ivan. “I was reliably informed that it was probably ten times stronger than the Disco 2 that Jen had rolled. Our thinking was that if the Disco 2 kept the family safe in that accident, then the Disco 3 was the best option for us if going on overland adventures. 

“Also, the Disco 3 is internally much bigger than the 110 and, obviously, much more comfortable for the children.

“Jen is from the US and only drives automatics so by having a Disco 3 with auto box she can share the driving on our adventures.

“So we purchased the Disco 3 about 18 months ago, at a local car dealer. I wanted a V8 petrol as opposed to the diesel. In its previous life, it had been a Chelsea Tractor, ferrying its previous owner’s children to and from school. It had 70,000 km on the clock and was immaculate in every way. It had also never been off-road and so was the obvious choice for us. It was a standard HSE-spec model, but with the addition of a rear TV set-up for the children. This was one of the reasons we purchased it.

“Together, Jen and I planned the project, taking into consideration the enormous capability of the vehicle. This allowed us to significantly increase the scope of the trip so that we could do so much more. We’ve changed a lot of the vehicle to make it suitable for overlanding. 

“Starting at the front, I installed daytime running lights into the headlights. Then we had a heavy-duty steel bumper and 12,500 lb rated winch installed. We also fitted Johnson Rods to lift the vehicle automatically by about two inches for normal driving and then wheel-spaced it two inches to cater for the additional height, giving greater, wider track on the vehicle, thus improving stability. This also allowed us to fit 18-inch wheels with Cooper Discovery S/T Maxx 275/65 tyres, ensuring that they do not touch the arches or parts of the vehicle. 

“We also upgraded the vehicle air suspension pump from the Hitachi to the much stronger AMK pump. The additional lighting, some 610 watts of LED light, aids night-time off-road driving enormously. The dual battery system that I installed is manufactured by HBC and we run two 658C batteries in the car to cater for the fridge and additional light loadings and USB installations. A long-range tank was fitted and we now have 230 litres (50.5 gallons) of fuel capacity, thus giving us significant range. 

“The winch is fed with a 95 mm power cable, distributed on 50 mm power cables, thus ensuring very little voltage drop and ample current to supply the winch. 

“A steel rear bumper was installed with high-lift and recovery points. I then built, and installed, rock sliders. A snorkel was fitted too, along with a roof rack, additional lighting and accessories. We installed a racking system in the boot, together with a dual battery and inverter system, all of which I designed and built myself. We retained the Harmon Kardon integrated audio system. 

“Finally, because of the extra weight of the vehicle and trailer, we had the ECU re-mapped to provide more torque and a little bit more power. This improved the vehicle’s performance significantly. The end result is an immensely-capable off-road and overlanding vehicle.

“Even in standard form, the Discovery 3 is an immensely-capable off-road vehicle, and probably more so than a Defender, due to its rear difflock and traction control systems. Add to it what I’ve done and we now have a vehicle that is pretty much go-anywhere and one that has retained its greater comfort level to cater for us as a family on the long journey ahead.

“Also, the reality is that with Defender prices now going through the roof following Land Rover’s decision to stop building it, the natural transition is to use the Disco 3 or 4 for overland adventures,” concludes Ivan.

Why should you buy one? Of course, not everybody who favours the Discovery 3 over the Defender can claim such a dramatic conversion. Here on the LRM team, advertising manager Steve Miller is the biggest advocate of the Disco 3, but his reasons are more pragmatic.

“Discovery 3 ownership was a natural progression for me, after previously owning and running first and second-generation Discos,” says Steve. “Opinion among my friends was divided. I had as many people tell me to avoid a D3 while others say it’s one the best models available and to go for it. I inevitably took the plunge after being convinced by my friends in the Discovery Owners Club.

“I know I made the right decision, even though its first trip to the garage for replacement glow plugs ended up with a bill for £1757. But I soon forgave it when we were hit with the Beast from the East blizzards in early March. There isn’t a vehicle I’d have preferred to drive in through snow drifts, icy lanes and the like.

“The Discovery 3 feels like it’s in a different league to other Land Rovers. It serves us very well for family use, along with the dog in the boot. The ability to tow comfortably has its advantages, too. 

“If you’re thinking of buying one, my main piece of advice is to go for the very best you can afford, either from a reputable specialist or an enthusiast you trust. Be warned that there are a lot of used Disco 3s, often with high mileages, sitting on used car lots with lots of undisclosed problems. It really is a case of buyer beware!

“Why should you buy one? • There are literally hundreds for sale at any one time and prices are only going one way – and that’s down! The D3 is becoming more accessible by the day for enthusiasts as people trade them in for newer Disco 4s or even the all-new Disco. •   I’ve never seen a rusty one (unlike many Defenders). • A Disco 3 will comfortably sit at 70 mph-plus on the motorway and waft along effortlessly. The air suspension forgives Britain’s pot-holed roads, soaking up every imperfection or sleeping policeman. The refined 2.7-litre TDV6 diesel offers silky smooth, luxurious driving, and is much nicer in automatic, rather than the manual gearbox, in my opinion. • D3s are just as good off-road, thanks to Terrain Response, with the ability to raise the suspension, and turn a dial for the terrain you’re encountering. With all-terrain tyres fitted, I’d love to see how far one will go before getting stuck. • D3s can be adapted and modified almost as well as Defenders. As time goes on, more and more aftermarket accessories are being designed and manufactured for these models – everything from underbody protection to expedition equipment. If you like doing your own servicing and maintenance, you can buy handheld diagnostic equipment to find out what’s wrong. The D3 is the perfect platform from which to start your personalisation.”

Steve adds: “The Discovery 3 has a reputation for faultless running and seldom going wrong, which is just as well because the only downside of D3 ownership is that most parts are more expensive than Defender parts and, as the vehicle is more sophisticated, it is also more complicated, which can rack up labour costs if you take it to  a garage. My advice is to always have a buffer in the bank for such eventualities.”  

Did you know that you can now get access to the entire archive of Land Rover magazine content with our brand new digital archive? You can enjoy all the issues since the launch of the magazine – use the search bar below to find features, reviews and other great content: 

• Motorcycles

1972 Land Rover Series III 109″ Safari

I’ve owned a couple of Land Rovers over the years. one of which was an early seventies Series III Safari station wagon. The Land Rover Safari was our family car, family adventures car, and also the car for shooting trips, transporting friends for times out bush. It’s a car I around which I have many fond memories, even memories of events that were not so much fun at the time, such as replacing an engine rear main oil seal whilst parked in a caravan park. Thankfully when the oil pressure suddenly went to nothing I’d seen the little green warning light on the dashboard come on and immediately depressed the clutch and switched the engine off. So I did not have to overhaul a damaged engine, just replace the seal, and we were able to continue our adventure.

The original Land Rover was inspired by America’s iconic Jeep and in fact the early prototype was constructed on a Jeep chassis. The people over at Rover in Solihull, England, saw the need for a rugged go anywhere vehicle both for the military and for ordinary people, including those in Australia, New Zealand and of course Africa. Aesthetics were not really a concern, the flat front fenders being well suited to mounting brackets for a shovel and an axe (as I had on my first Land Rover). In fact an old shooting friend once said he like the flat topped fenders as they were ideal for scaling and gutting a fish on.

That pretty much sums up the design thinking in the creation of the Land Rover, nobody was trying to make it stylish or “cool”. The intention was to create something that was like a cross between a car and a Meccano set. Something that was easy to pull apart, fix, and put back together again. And indeed people treated the Land Rover as something of a do it yourself Meccano set by creating all sorts of modifications and extras to make it do what they wanted better.

Probably the most impressive “boys own” modified Land Rover is the Australian Perentie. Name after a big outback lizard the Land Rover Perentie featured galvanised chassis that could withstand being hoisted up by a helicopter by one corner without being distorted and which had its original engine replaced with a more substantial Isuzu 3.9 litre four cylinder diesel, either conventionally aspirated or turbocharged. Land Rover Perenties came in both 4×4 and 6×6 versions.

But for the family men amongst us who need to drive our Land Rovers on ordinary roads and who don’t actually need it to be a platform for a .50BMG the stock standard Series III Safari station wagon was a near perfect vehicle.

Engine of the Series III long wheelbase Land Rovers such as the Safari wagon was Rover’s 2,625 cc inlet over exhaust six cylinder designed by Jack Swain. Jack Swain’s design of this engine was more sophisticated than others from the likes of Packard and Harley Davidson. Jack Swain designed his inlet over exhaust engine with operational efficiency in mind rather than just simplicity of construction. he used an offset hemispherical combustion chamber and centrally located spark plug.

The inlet over exhaust design allows for large valves and also provides for good cooling of the exhaust as the exhaust valves are mounted in the cylinder block and are cooled by the cooling system in the block.

The Rover engine is a very interesting one to use and to work on and seems to have acquired something of an enthusiasts following, which is appropriate for a car that was designed to be easy to work on and tinker with.

The Land Rover version of the 2.6 litre engine featured a cylinder head designed by Harry Weslake and which enabled the engine power to be increased.

You’ll find a good short article on this engine at head2head.free-online.co.uk if you click here .

Power of the Land Rover versions of this engine produced 83 bhp at 4,500 rpm for the 7.1:1 compression version with torque of 128 lb ft at 1,500 rpm. The 7.8:1 compression engine produced 90 bhp at 4,500 rpm with torque of 131 lb ft at 1,500 rpm.

The 2.6 litre Rover engine drives through an all synchromesh four speed manual gearbox. Control for the four wheel drive engagement is a yellow push down lever just beside the main gear lever. To get four wheel drive engaged just push it down. The low and high range lever is coloured red and pushes forward or back depending on whether you want normal high range or low range.

For a PDF file of instructions of how to use the Land Rover gear system that also include how to use the optional Fairey overdrive unit click here .

The Land Rover Safari station wagon was reasonably comfortable to drive and to ride in. I’ve certainly done drives of over ten hours in Land Rovers on the standard seats and those journeys have been quite reasonable.

In the very rear of the Safari station wagon are two bench seats which are not really intended for long journeys. Nonetheless we used to fit four children and one Labrador dog in there without any difficulty. Fitting seatbelts in the rear for passengers is a good idea, we did.

Suspension of the Land Rovers was by leaf springs all around. The Series III Safari having a Salisbury rear axle for added ruggedness. Brakes are drums all around with a fifth drum brake on the transmission which serves as the parking brake.

On the highway the Land Rover Series III Safari does reasonably well but it is not fast. In fact I remember coming up behind a white Series III Safari on a country road trip which it’s owner had christened “Slow White” in large friendly letters on the rear door. Expect a highway cruising speed of around 55mph. If your Land Rover is fitted with the optional Fairey overdrive unit you can expect 60mph which is enough. Fuel mileage tends to be around seventeen miles to the Imperial gallon in my experience so around 14mpg for US gallons. Much the same as so many of the big US cars of the fifties and sixties.

Bodywork of the Land Rover is of an aluminium alloy called Birmabright, which is the same alloy Aston-Martin use on their DB4,5 and 6 cars. The Birmabright being fitted to a steel frame mounted on a rugged chassis. As with the Aston-Martins so with the Land Rovers owners need to watch for unlike metal corrosion between the aluminium alloy and the steel frame.

The blue Land Rover Series III Safari we have featured in this post is original and unrestored boasting a genuine mileage of only 29,000 miles which is remarkable given its four decades of life. The car has been mainly used for transporting shooters around an estate and it has lived a sheltered life garaged when not in use.

If you would like to find out full information about this Land Rover Series III Safari you will find the Bonhams auction page if you click here .

If you do manage to purchase it you will need workshop manuals which you can find if you click here , or here . You can also find an original owners handbook if you click here . Owning a Land Rover really makes sense if you want a car you can happily tinker with and maintain in perfect working order. I had a lot of fun doing that with both my old “Landies”.

Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.

Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.

Jon C. Branch

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• Series Land Rovers

series3 fuel consumption, power 2.25

• Thread starter tomtomtom
• Start date Jun 19, 2011

• Jun 19, 2011

hi im thinking of getting a series 3 could you tell me whats the best engine diesel or petrol what hp do they have and what fuel consumption will i get cheers  

Posting Guru

not a lot of power but consume huge amounts of fuel. a diesel 2 1/4 will do 25 -27 ish, and has 65? bhp. petrol has 10 bhp more, but feels a lot quicker, but will return 10 - 20 mpg. maybe a touch more on a run. brilliant engines, loads of low down grunt where you want it off road, and suit a series well. i have just got rid of a series 3 diesel because round here theres too many hills and i got fed up of causing traffic jams. i am in the process of putting a 200tdi in my lightweight that was a petrol, because i cant afford 12 mpg average. a v8 however will fly along and still do 15-20 mpg.  

Jeff Turner

My 2.25 petrol returns an average of 22-25mpg with overdrive, if used in heavy traffic / town it drops to about 15 -18. I am looking at fitting a high ratio transfer box prior to an LPG conversion which should show an increase on the MPG but I don't expect miracles! 200TDI conversion will improve the MPG but comes with its own problems/difficulties/expense.  

Jeff Turner said: My 2.25 petrol returns an average of 22-25mpg with overdrive, if used in heavy traffic / town it drops to about 15 -18. I am looking at fitting a high ratio transfer box prior to an LPG conversion which should show an increase on the MPG but I don't expect miracles! 200TDI conversion will improve the MPG but comes with its own problems/difficulties/expense. Click to expand...

Extreme Landy Fan

My lpg gets between 15 and 18mpg. Currently paying between 75 and 80ppl. At worst, it works out at about 23p per mile. On petrol I was getting about 18 to 22mpg. At current petrol prices, at worst it works out about 34p per mile. So you get about a 33% saving with lpg.  

Heathers fitted with Turner stage 1 head, webber carb and new ignition sytem (soon to be electronic) and Facet fuel pump as well as the overdrive. These improved the MPG from 18 - 20, with LPG I hope to get about that, the cost saving is the attraction !!  

FvanDorssen

In fourth gear.

• Jun 20, 2011

difflock123

Big landy fan.

yes, and for the information, a disco 200Tdi makes 111bhp @4,000rpm and 198lb-ft of torque @1,800rpm mine was mildly tuned (big intercooler, tweaked fuelling, straight pipe exhaust) so was producing 120~130bhp and considerably more torque, and in a S3 SWB hardtop, with roof rack, nudge bar, spotlights, etc on 238/85R16 BF Muds, standard gearing (50mph was 2,900rpm), it would return 25mpg a 3.5 V8 produces anywhere from ~95hp (stage one V8) to ~155hp (SD1), with the rangy 3.5 V8 producing ~130bhp but economy figures have been mentioned..... the other engine if you want economy is look for a series landy with a Perkins Prima (from a Austin Montego/Maestro). its a 2.0L Di engine producing as standard 81bhp and ~120lb-ft (so similar to the 2.25 petrol), but they can return as much as 40mpg. easily tuned for a bit more power/torque and an intercooler is a good idea (improves power and torque simply by cooling the intake charge)  

I think a V8 on LPG will give you similar consumption figures/costs to a standard 2.25 petrol (although considerably more power!) To be honest, I've given up worrying about the consumption of my S2A. Neither the engine, nor the bodywork were ever designed to delivery economy. Just found I was forever chasing my tail and by removing weight/roofracks/kit from the rear etc and planning to fitting road biased tyres I was taking her further away from her original purpose. So, I've bought a vehicle that does a better economy (60mpg - saves me £1600+ a year in fuel costs alone compared to the Land Rover) and can enjoy the S2A in the manner to which she's intended!  

I would second everything MUD4FUN says...my old 2.25d averaged about 24mpg. Nick.  

Accelerating Away

• Jun 21, 2011

TBM said: To be honest, I've given up worrying about the consumption of my S2A. Neither the engine, nor the bodywork were ever designed to delivery economy... So, I've bought a vehicle that does a better economy (60mpg - saves me £1600+ a year in fuel costs alone compared to the Land Rover) and can enjoy the S2A in the manner to which she's intended! Click to expand...

• Jun 22, 2011

I can understand the challenge of getting the most mpg out of a series. I've got this pipe dream of building a 2.25 from scratch, and lightening, balancing, porting, re-carbing to get the maximum bhp out of it. It'll take lots of time and money and in the end I'll have a vehicle that'll do 85mph tops....... However, mpg for me is a big weekly outlay so I really need the most economical vehicle I can use. It cost £1200, costs nothing to insure (added it to a multi vehicle policy) and about £70 a year to tax. It'll save me at least £1664+ a year in petrol so after year one, I'll be over £200 up, year two £1500 up etc.... If I stick to around 60-65mph, I get around 59/60mpg, 75-80mph drops to around 55mpg and 95+mph cruising really hits it, and it drops to about 47mpg.....  

MUD4FUN said: You are of course welcome to drive around at 14mpg if that is your desire but for me I'll take the 40mpg option any day whether I'm doing 3000 miles a year or 30,000 miles a year! Click to expand...

DarrenH said: 3000 miles a year at 14mpg is still 3.5 times cheaper than 30,000 miles at 40mpg though Click to expand...

i dont necessarily dissagree, it was just a satirical dig tbh. as i've said before, discussing which engine in a series is less worserer on fuel, its like trying to decide wether to jump off the roof of your house and land on gravel or broken glass, they are both pointless and going to hurt, just stay off the roof  

DarrenH said: i dont necessarily dissagree, it was just a satirical dig tbh. Click to expand...

as i've said before, discussing which engine in a series is less worserer on fuel, its like trying to decide wether to jump off the roof of your house and land on gravel or broken glass, they are both pointless and going to hurt, just stay off the roof Click to expand...

exactly! but a true shame houses didnt have parachutes as standard, and a shame only one in fifty rooves have expensively retrofitted them !  

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ON JANUARY 18 the television programme known in Yorkshire as The Pretty Good Tour returns for its third and definitely not final series.

This is, however, the last one to feature the studio tent and all of the shenanigans contained therein, so if you’re a fan of those bits where the presenters sit around a table chatting or squabbling next to a large, patently homemade scoreboard then you’ll want to savour this series.

And what a bumper one it is too, featuring an extended, two-part Colombia special that was meant to appear last year. Filming was delayed because Hammond proved unable to keep a car the right way up and Clarkson had a lot of crisp, dry, French pneumonia in his body.

As if that weren’t enough for fans of those extra-long road trips, three other programmes have morphed into mini-movies too, and the others are so crammed with content they might well burst your streaming pipes.

Here are some of the things you can expect from the new crop of 14 programmes.

Motown muscle

Detroit was once the centre of the US car industry and therefore the centre of gravity for the motoring world, but the city is now a shadow of its former self. As high priests in the church of petrol, Clarkson, Hammond and May make a pilgrimage to this most holy of places to see what is going on.

They discover that the car factories are largely derelict, the centre has been hijacked by hipsters and the most thriving industry is urban organic farming. Clearly this won’t do, so the three presenters set about making Detroit into the place it should be; a petrolhead playground featuring streets where you can drag race, old theatres you can rattle with the sound of your revving V8, and abandoned factories you can race around to your heart’s content.

To undertake this important mission, Clarkson gets hold of a Ford Mustang tuned by a company called RTR (short for Ready to Rock) while May has a Hennessey Exorcist Camaro and Hammond picks a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, making this a true battle of good versus evil, with Jon Bon Jovi in the middle.

Episodes 2 and 3

You may have noticed when you pause your Amazon television viewing device that it enters a screensaver mode showing delightful photos of dramatic and interesting landscapes from around the world.

Recently, the Grand Tour’s overlords decided to introduce some new photos depicting interesting animals, which was a good idea, and of getting the Grand Tour presenters to take those photos, which maybe wasn’t.

Naturally, when they were first asked, our trio said “no”, because they couldn’t be bothered to spend nine months sitting in small canvas hides next to midge-infested swamps, but changed their minds when they realised they could cheat. First of all, they could do it all from cars, and if they found the most biodiverse place on earth, they could mop up the entire project in just a few days.

So Clarkson, Hammond and May buy a Jeep Wrangler, a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up and a Fiat Panda 4×4 respectively and then head for a country so groaning with wildlife it’s amazing there’s any room for trees and buildings and lampposts – Colombia.

What happens next is an adventure of such size and scale that it’s been split into two parts for your viewing pleasure, as the trio embark on a journey of incredible beauty, majesty, peril and wonder. And also a thing involving donkeys that’s a bit weird.

What the truck?

The pick-up truck is the backbone of the developing world and it’s a vital market that the Japanese have dominated for years. However, some European car makers have decided to get in on the action with pick-ups of their own.

They are no doubt hoping to capture the rural vet, and painter and decorator market but if these new machines can’t survive the rough and tumble of developing world conditions, from toppled dictators to all-out civil war, they simply aren’t tough enough to face their established rivals.

To find out if they’ve got what it takes, Clarkson, Hammond and May gather a VW Amarok, a Ford Ranger and a Mercedes X-class and discover which copes best in a brutal simulation of harsh, lawless life in a subsistence existence. Which may also be handy if this whole Brexit situation takes a turn for the worse.

China in their hands

If you’re a Chinese business magnate and you want to create a good impression, you can simply go and buy a Mercedes S-class or a Jaguar XJ and the job is done.

But what if you’re a Chinese business person on a budget? Then you’ve got a problem, because your version of capitalism is all rather new and your car market didn’t really open up until recently, the result of which is that in China there is no ready supply of 20-year-old luxury cars at bargain prices.

But hang on a minute; Chinese people come in droves to places such as Britain’s Bicester shopping village to snap up clothes and watches and so on. Why couldn’t they also pick up a used luxury limo and ship it home?

Armed with this brilliant business idea, Clarkson, Hammond and May travel to Chongqing, the biggest city you’ve probably never heard of, to demonstrate the wonders of an old Mercedes S 600, an ageing BMW 750iL and a Cadillac STS. And also to get attacked by fire drones.

Och aye the views

As three of the world’s leading motoring journalists, Clarkson, Hammond and May wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they weren’t keeping a beady eye on car trends and here’s something they spotted straight away: classic cars are quite expensive these days . Sought-after stuff such as Jaguar E-types, Aston Martin DB5s and even old Minis are worth a lot more than they were 10 or 20 years ago.

But there are some rare, desirable cars that have yet to climb the giddy upward curve of appreciation. Cars such as the Alfa Romeo GTV6, the Lancia Gamma coupé and the Fiat X1/9.

So the presenters buy examples of those and then, to see who has chosen most, and indeed least, wisely, they head to the top of Scotland where, after a bit of a slow start, they end up on some spectacular roads.

Warning: this film contains scenery that some viewers may find stunning. And cars they may not.

Holiday road

For many people in Britain and across the world, the idea of hiring an RV and touring the southwestern US sounds like an excellent holiday. For Clarkson, Hammond and May, however, it sounded like a living hell where you must spend your days piloting a sluggish lorry and your nights being forced to sleep on a child-sized bed with your head inches from a tank containing someone else’s most recent defecations.

Unfortunately for them, the Grand Tour producer and one-man sartorial smartness vacuum Andy “Mister” Wilman said they were being unreasonably grumpy and sent them to Nevada to find out more.

Having quickly had their worst suspicions confirmed, the presenters decide to abandon their shared RV and buy one each, which they can modify to suit their preferences and prejudices. Because what could go wrong with that? Apart from many things.

Hot hot hot

Jeremy, Richard and James love hot hatchbacks because they’re affordable, practical and zoom about like deranged wasps. That’s why they were so excited to test the newest versions from Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.

Sadly, however, it was pointed out that these were young people’s cars and the opinions of three middle-aged men in bad jeans were irrelevant. So, after a bit of fun on the Grand Tour rallycross track, the three are told to stop mucking about and get out there to see which of them can make their car seem the most appealing to millennials using slogans, stickers and the power of social media.

A Grand Tour

Do you know how many letters The Grand Tour receives asking for advice on the best car to buy if you habitually drive 600 miles from the shores of the salt-water Black Sea in Georgia to the edge of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan to satiate your desire for fresh-water fish? That’s right, it’s zero.

But that doesn’t stop our presenters from gathering the new Aston Martin DBS , the new Bentley Continental GT and the even newer BMW 8 Series for a true grand tour across the Caucasus to answer the question that’s on the lips of no one.

The flat pack

In a full-length special, which is Grand Tour speak for one of those episodes where they don’t come back to the tent for that bit where they make bottom jokes and look at a picture of a new McLaren, Jeremy, Richard and James are dropped into the wilderness of Mongolia and told to await a delivery.

The air is rent asunder by the thwock of heavy-duty rotor blades as a military helicopter heaves into view and drops some boxes. Unfortunately for the presenters these do not contain something immediately useful, such as a Toyota Hilux or another, smaller helicopter, but are instead packed with basic rations and all the flat-packed parts they need to assemble a small off-road machine in which to escape to civilisation before they starve to death or strangle each other.

What follows is an incredible quest for survival against the backdrop of an extraordinary landscape rarely seen on our screens. Will the presenters make it out alive? Well, you can probably guess the answer. It probably would have made the papers if they’d perished horribly.

But it was touch and go at some points. Just putting the damn thing together was enough to make James want to bludgeon Jeremy with an exhaust manifold and it went downhill from there.

Funeral for a Ford

Rumours persist that the Ford Mondeo is on borrowed time and when it dies there will be no direct replacement, as is happening in America, where the medium-sized Ford saloon is already on death row.

Few tears are being shed about this and The Grand Tour thinks that’s wrong because, for British people at least, the Ford family saloon is as much a part of our national DNA as the royal family or the BBC. Everyone knows someone who had a Mondeo or a Sierra or the daddy of them all, a Cortina. Most likely, it was your actual daddy.

Certainly, Jeremy’s father had a Cortina. As did James’s. Richard’s dad . . . he didn’t, for reasons that will become clear as the presenters set off on a warm and nostalgic journey through the life of the medium-sized Ford saloon, celebrating the subtle yet profound effect it has had on life in Britain as we know it.

Solo projects

It’s not all three-presenter road trips and challenges in this series because Clarkson, Hammond and May have been off making some films on their own.

Throughout the series watch out for Jeremy powersliding a Lamborghini Urus across a frozen lake and attempting to prove that the Citroën C3 Aircross is better than an elephant.

Stand by for Richard bravely stepping into another ultra-high performance electric supercar despite what happened last time.

Get set for James testing, and rather enjoying, the Alpine A110  at the Grand Tour track.

And seasoned international travellers may enjoy a Clarkson/Hammond joint project to speed up air travel using motorised hand luggage.

Plus, for those who enjoy The Grand Tour’s occasional forays into serious history films, there’s good news as James guides us through the cars of the Apollo astronauts and, in a separate feature, gives a potted history of the Porsche 917, while Richard pays tribute to arguably the greatest racing driver of all time, Jim Clark.

Richard Porter is script editor of The Grand Tour

Series 3 of The Grand Tour begins on  Amazon Prime  at midnight tonight, with new episodes released every Friday.

• Jeremy Clarkson
• richard hammond
• The Grand Tour
• The Grand Tour Season 3

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