History
Vehicle is a LHD 1992 twin Disco. Only one in Australia I’d reckon.
Personal import in 2008.
Used on a farm near Cooma since 2008( see pic under snow in paddock in 2019, the other is in the Peloponnesus in 2006). We’re still in that long wait for ADR rego eligibility in 2022... a bloody long wait for a UK spec vehicle.
Bought it as a UK registered car while working as a diplomat in Greece, Albania and Bulgaria in 2006/7&8. Driven across Greece on work and holidays And into Turkey to Gallipoli too in 2008 ( Turks didn’t like our number plates...at all.. see below).
Christened the “Balkans Battle Wagon “ she tooled 1000s of Kms in the line of duty across this amazing, wild , beautiful part of the world. She could cruise at 130kmh on Greece’s EU funded motorways , while grappling up the most remote Classical Age epics ( we chased the Sphinx up fire trails to the the crags where Oedipus left his glasses, got taverna drive service on beaches where the Persians were flogged at Marathon!) . We drove the 1000 km north from Athens to Tirana, Albania,and crossed minefields and abandoned DMZs into the remains of Europe’s own Former North Korea. We crabbed up old military roads, and goat trails, in Low 1st 4wd to get to a polling booth to undertake Electoral Observer duties and fly the flag in this then new democracy for Australia. The locals appreciated it.
She never missed a beat and has a couple of Euro cruising options like vented front discs that Australian discos missed.
Always lots of fun border crossings, always armed with half a dozen bottles of Australuan Red in the back to make friends with sceptical officials and locals “ you come from what country??!” . Austrian red wine?? Ah, we understand...Australians....welcome! We have cousins in Melbourne...do you know them? Vasili...fetch the village wine to show these Australians what real wine is....and the slivovitza!!!
The funky Greek diplomatic issue plates which as well as CD also used non-Latin Alphabet letters for DS ( for Diplomatiki Soma) . The cause a lot of head scratching at frontier checkpoints ..... and tantrum at the Turkish one:)
For the moment she’s still pulling tractors, lugging star pickets and fencing wire , our fire rig through the last bushfires in 2020, and the harrows around the paddock ( with the Bluetooth plug-in bashing out country tunes inside).
Still a blast to drive my v.own classic and unique left hooker. Turbo still tight, tdi200’s steady reliable tractor note underpinning it.. Just cracked 200,000 . About 200 kms a year for 13;years ( fire trailer tender mostly ) . But the paintwork .... getting very faded and lots of minor farm scratches and dings. Interior ...now bit farm grade.
As an early 1992 Tdi200 Disco she’s becoming a rare creature. I have a spare RHD one just in case ....
The Discos were designed with LHD market as key target, so the left hand reverse indicator/wiper arrangement on the steering column and the LH side bonnet latch...both retained on RHD discos... actually make sense. And LH steering column leaves good room for engine and servicing stuff.
More photos to come
Modifications
Genuine Uk spec, LHD. Battered but fully original.
