For vehicle restorers and rebuilders who come across a Land Rover 101 Forward Control for sale, you might find it a bigger project than your usual vintage Land Rover. A one-tonne project, in fact.
They were military vehicles, made in a limited number of 2,669 in the 1970s, and production ceased in 1978. If you happen to find an example worthy of bringing back to life, it will be a more complicated project than your average Defender or Range Rover.
What makes a 101 Forward Control different?
Although the 101 Forward Control was powered by a similar 3.8-litre Land Rover V8 engine to the other Land Rovers built at the time, that is where the similarity ends.
Yes, it had a Land Rover badge, and yes, it came from the famed Solihull factory that birthed so many others, but it is a whole other creature. Although they came off the line as soft top models, almost all were adapted and a permanent roof added.
Visually, it does not bear the slightest resemblance to a standard Land Rover. The flat-faced box rested upon enormous 9.00 x 16-inch tractor-size tyres that made it stand over 7ft high.
The reason for this was the driver’s cab sat directly over the engine, in front of the forward axle, hence the name Forward Control.
The driver would sit above the horizontal steering wheel, reminiscent of a double-decker bus and have to grapple with its huge turning circle.
Why was the 101 Forward Control Built?
Built by Norman Busby at the behest of the British Military, the 101 was designed to use its torque-happy engine to pull a lot of weight.
More precisely, it could carry a tonne of ammunition and kit, plus whatever it was towing, in whatever terrain it was in. The pulling power as a gun tractor is what earned it the nickname “One tonne”.
Shape and compactness of the vehicle, compared to others used by the Forces, meant it could be easily loaded onto aircraft and then deposited where it was needed in the world.
The British Military began decommissioning them in the 1990s when they became collector’s items for those who love Land Rover engine rebuilds and restoration projects.