Our Man At Large

We present for you a special treat for the new year. Old Pearson’s Almanac: John’s forecast of what 2018 will bring to the Land Rover scene. Possibly...

- John Pearson

JANUARY: The UK is blanketed in snow for the whole month, with temperatures into minus figures. Transport systems grind to a halt. Only Land Rovers can get through.

FEBRUARY: Responding to all the negative comments about the Discovery 5’s unbalanced rear end with its offset numberplate, Land Rover announces it will redesign the Discovery to include a rear-mounted spare wheel. Says design chief Gerry McGovern: ‘The problem wasn’t just that the numberplate was offset to the left, but that it just looked wrong without an external spare wheel to give it balance. We are also altering the design to include a square numberplate like the older Discoverys.’

MARCH: Land Rover reveals that following the successful introduction of a rear-mounted spare wheel to the Discovery 5, it is to ‘cascade the concept to all vehicles with immediate effect’. Says design chief Gerry McGovern: ‘The lack of a rear-mounted spare wheel is something that has troubled me aesthetically for some time – our vehicles were looking unbalanced at the rear and the introduction of the spare on the Discovery made me realise what was missing from the whole range. Doing this will help make them look like proper Land Rovers once again.’