In order to mark the milestone achievement of building 1,000,000 Discovery models, Land Rover embarked on a 'Journey of Discovery,' crossing 13 countries and travelling 8,000 miles from its birthplace in Birmingham to Beijing in China, JLR's biggest-growing market. Having visited the Chernobul reactor, passed through a secret submarine base in the Ukraine, met Bolshoi ballet dancers in Russia and fishermen in the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, the four-man team arrived in China via the spice and silk routes.

Unwashed and a little worn for ware, the Discovery appeared in Beijing 50 days later having met two of the journey's three main aims, namely showcasing the Defender's unrivalled durability and retracing the steps of the 1955 'First Overland Expedition' (which ended in Singapore for political reasons).

The final aim was to raise £1,000,000 for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support a water sanitation project in Uganda. The ambitious total has yet to be met, but Land Rover will continue to take donations until the end of May, which can be made via their website.