The Land Rover 101 Forward Control is an unusual four-wheel-drive V8 developed by the British car manufacturer in the late 1960s to make a tractor gun for the UK Department of Defense.
According to information from Wapcar automotive news, No 101 Forward Controls were never made available to civilians by Land Rover, they were purely a military vehicle when new. In the years that followed, many were sold to civilians as military surpluses, and some were converted into off-road motorcycles.
Quick Facts – Land Rover 101 Front Control
1. The Land Rover 101 forward control system is referred to by some as the “British Unimog” and it’s not hard to see why. Both cars have a boxy design with a front cabin, large wheels and tires, and a large payload.
2. 101 Forward Control was developed from lessons learned from the first commercially unsuccessful Land Rover Forward Control IIA and IIB. Named for its 101-inch wheelbase, the 101 Forward Control features a custom-designed chassis mounted to the front and rear Salisbury axles. Power is provided by an all-alloy Rover V8 engine and the vehicle has a payload capacity of 1 ton with a towing capacity of up to 4,000 lbs.
Land Rover 101 Forward Control
The Land Rover 101 Forward Control was first revealed to the world at the 1972 UK Commercial Motor Show. It is the successor to the Land Rover Forward Control IIA and IIB of the 1960s, which were not particularly successful and it was 100% intended for military use only.
While the original Land Rover Forward Control IIA and IIB had problems such as insufficient power, the new 101 Forward Control solved many of the shortcomings of its ancestors.
Power is now powered by Rover’s all-alloy 3.5-liter V8, the same engine used in the all-new Ranger Rover and derived from the Buick 215-inch V8 in the early 1960s This motor is compact in size and low in weight. provides ample power with a very little weight penalty. In fact, it’s actually lighter than some of the all-iron four and six-cylinder engines it has replaced.
An all-new steel ladder frame was developed for the 101 Forward Control, and a new body design inspired by previous FC designs, perhaps with additional influences from Unimog.
The front-mounted V8 returns power via a 4-speed manual transmission to a two-speed convertible, and from there to the front and rear Salisbury direct axles. As standard at the time, suspension consisted of leaf springs front and rear with drum brakes on all four wheels.
101 FC – Military Use
Land Rover has developed the 101 specifically as an artillery tractor for the UK Department of Defense, it is designed to tow L118 Light Gun (a field gun) and carry ammunition of it. It has also been designed to be easily transported by air, in line with lessons learned during the development of the first “Mobile Aircraft” Land Transporter.
A problem was encountered on the first prototype: the driver had difficulty entering the cabin because of its height. To solve this problem, a clever ‘step’ has been developed, which is essentially a circular steel ring added to the outside of each front wheel, allowing the driver and passenger to get into the cockpit more easily with a convenient step.
Although originally designed for artillery tractor duty, later versions of the 101 FC have been developed into radio and command vehicles, Tracking Radar Tractor (TRT) vehicles, battlefield ambulances and perhaps most interesting the British RAF Rapier mobile missile system.
Production took place from 1972 to 1978, almost all of which were sold to the British Armed Forces, but the Australian Army also ordered a small number. A total of 2,669 were made, far fewer than their Series Land Rover brethren, and many of them are still in working condition to this day.
Judge Dredd’s “City CAB”
101 The most famous of these is the heavily modified “City CAB” used in Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 film Judge Dredd. Interestingly, these vehicles were actually designed specifically for the film by Land Rover, such that the 101 FC rolling chassis could be used.
In the years since production ceased, the 101 FC was gradually dropped from military service and many were sold to civilians as military surplus.
In civilian ownership, the cars will experience a whole new life, often converted into off-road motorcycles and then used to explore vast swaths of the planet.
Land Rover 101 FC Overland Camper on display here
The 101 FC on display here dates from 1977, the penultimate year of production. This vehicle was recently delivered to the British Ministry of Defense and was subsequently acquired by the current owner from a private collection in Poland.
Expansion work has been done on the truck by its current owner, the baffles, front bumper and door hinges have all been galvanized and the top, bottom and front door hardware have all been replaced. position.
A custom aluminum camping cabin was given special attention to ensure it blends harmoniously with the 101’s overall design. It is then finished in Dovas White and Bahama Gold with 16 steel wheels. inches off white. with Michelin XZL 255/100 tyres.
Four-wheel disc brakes were fitted by Able Engineering of Leicester, the UK during construction and the 101 currently uses a height-adjustable air suspension with adjusted Bilstein dampers – it also is available with a vacuum-operated locking center differential as well as a hydraulic power steering.
In the back you will find a pop-top motorhome with a double bed, backup battery, roof-mounted solar panel system including two 100W panels, a C-Tek controller and battery management system, with a Cotek 3.5 kW inverter, and a Sergeant EC160 power supply with split charger.
