In 1946, shortly after World War II ended, Maurice Wilks, the chief designer at Britain's luxury car manufacturer, Rover, acquired a retired military Willys jeep for use on his farm in Anglesey, England. Wilks was so taken by the utility of this vehicle that he decided that Rover ought to build a better one.

Using some of the four-wheel-drive system ideas from the jeep, the first Land Rover appeared in 1948. In the next few years its suitability for off-road traveling, from African safaris to mountain climbing, propelled worldwide sales.

A lot has changed in the Land Rover since, but some hasn't. Although well-equipped with the latest in electronically controlled engine, transmission, braking and suspension systems, the 2000 Land Rover Discovery 2 is still the solid, almost crude workhorse that Wilks envisioned. It is doubtful he imagined in this new century well-heeled ladies and gents would cruise his creation down the highways of America with their kids and dogs in high style, without ever realizing, appreciating, or using the dramatic off-road capabilities of this mud crawler.

Rover lost its independence when British Aerospace bought the company in 1988 and lost its British ownership when BMW bought it from BAE in 1994. BMW had many plans for the Land Rover, and in fact improved the image with new marketing ideas.

Today, many Land Rover Centers have an off-road test course for customer use and Land Rover accessories, clothing and other gear for sale. San Diego’s Land Rover dealer, Pioneer Centres, is planning an off-road track for customer training and testing.

In a muscular truck-like way, the 2000 Land Rover Discovery 2 looks indestructible.

In April 2000 Ford bought Land Rover from BMW, although its influence has not yet been felt in the design of the car.

In the early years 4- and 6-cylinder gasoline and 4-cylinder diesel engines were the available power plants. In 1964 Rover bought the tools and design of the small 3.5 liter, all-aluminum, OHV V-8 engine that General Motors had designed for its 1961-63 Oldsmobile F-85 and Buick Skylark. After using it in their Rover 3500S luxury car and Range Rover for a few years, G.M. in 1979 introduced the engine into the Stage 1 Land Rover, which in 1990 became the Land Rover Discovery. This same engine, refined and increased in size to 4.0 liters is the 188 hp powerplant for the 2000 Land Rover Discovery 2.

The engine is smooth and fairly quiet, but a little short of oomph. It’s responsive enough for most driving conditions but can run out of breath in some passing scenarios. The excellent, responsive and smooth-shifting ZF four-speed automatic transmission does help a lot. Perhaps Ford can offer a solution from its stable of engines. I hope it doesn’t change the transmission.

The Discovery has a rugged handsome look, and in a sort of muscular truck-like way, looks indestructible. The seats are high with great views, lots of light and space inside, cubbyholes and pockets galore, a very pleasant and rich feeling interior. The standard radio/cassette combo produces outstanding sound and tenaciously holds on to faraway stations.

This is a remarkably solid and quiet SUV, and the suspension, although delivering a firm and pebble sensing ride, has softer edges than earlier models and some competing SUVs. A new (for any SUV) optional electronically controlled variable stiffness sway bar has stabilized the earlier Land Rover's tendency to be tippy, whether on the freeway or off road.

The combination of a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, the ZF transmission, four-wheel electronic traction control, a two-speed transfer gearbox with locking torque converter and a unique Hill Descent Control feature has made this the king of off-road vehicles.

Standard equipment includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes, a cargo cover, front and rear fog lights, garage door opener, Hill Descent Control, dual heated automatic mirrors, dual six-way power seats, cruise control, traction control and aluminum alloy wheels.

The price of the base model with vinyl interior is $33,350, with cloth interior the price is $34,150, and with leather interior is $36,725. Options include dual, but not very elegant, moon roofs for $1,500, third-row rear seats with self-leveling rear suspension for $1,750 and rear air conditioning for $750. Heated windshield and seats cost $500, the active cornering system with alloy wheels and mud/snow tires costs $2,900, and a six-disc changer costs $625.

Fuel consumption, at an EPA rating of 13 mpg/city and 17 mpg/highway, is not this vehicle's best feature. Not only that, it uses premium fuel — the price you pay to move a 4,500-pound vehicle with four-wheel drive. The warranty is four years or 50,000 miles.

There's a subtle exclusivity about owning a Land Rover, perhaps because the English Royals have owned and driven them since the 1950s, but remember this vehicle is designed primarily to defeat mud, rivers, mountains and deserts.

For more about this very capable machine, go to the Pioneer Centres on Miramar Road, talk to the knowledgeable folks there and take the Rover for a test drive.

Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 54 cars and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today’s ABS systems. Lynas can be reached by e-mail at osten@aol.com.