To commemorate what would have been Sir Edmund Hillary’s 100th birthday on July 20, Land Rover New Zealand has created a special edition Discovery – with only 20 available in the world.
Based on a Land Rover Discovery Td6 HSE, the limited-edition Sir Edmund Hillary model has a bespoke package created in New Zealand.
Priced from $169,900, the Discovery has special flared arches and off-road tyres, a winch and light bar plus contrast accents. But what impressed Driven the most when we saw it today was the stunning plaques on the winch, front dash and by the rear badge that features Mt Everest and Sir Ed’s signature.
The SUV has a wide range of off-road enhancements - including Active Locking Rear Differential, All-Terrain Progress Control and Wade Sensing – and Land Rover says the Discovery is “so loaded up that there’s not much else you can add”.
The special edition Discovery also supports Sir Ed’s charity, the Himalayan Trust - improving education and health for communities in the remote, mountainous regions of Nepal.
The Trust plans to bring access to safe, clean running water to hundreds of people living in the villages of Bubsa and Monjo in the Solukhumbu region - near Mt Everest.
The Sir Ed Discovery was launched last night at gala dinner for the Himalayan Trust in Auckland where explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes spoke to the audience. The vehicle is now sitting at Archibald and Shorter North Shore.
The $12million dealership is official complete this weekend with the opening of its service department, and is the largest Jaguar Land Rover dealership in the Southern Hemisphere.
The limited-edition model will be available to purchase through Land Rover authorised retailers around New Zealand from today, with customers able to secure a model now and the Discovery will be built in batches.
Each model comes with commemorative, uncirculated $5 note signed by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1993, as well as a $2000 voucher for the Edmund Hillary clothing line.
Land Rover New Zealand will also donate $150,000 to the Himalayan Trust to help build two water projects.
Land Rover NZ general manager Steve Kenchington said the opportunity to honour a New Zealand legend in this way resonates strongly with his team.
“Many of the residents of Bubsa and Monjo villages are subsistence farmers who rely on seasonal rains to irrigate their crops.
“This initiative will make a real difference in the lives of many Nepalese, and we are privileged to help continue the work of this legendary New Zealander,” he said.
Sir Edmund’s son Peter Hillary was at the reveal of the SUV last night and said his family has had a connection to the Land Rover brand for generations and his father would have appreciated its use to raise funds for a cause he was so passionate about.
“In the early 1970s, the family Range Rover we adored for many many years was a golden brown coloured two-door aluminium bodied vehicle – we referred to it as the Hillary adventure wagon, it epitomised what my father and our family was all about,” he said.
