On rare occasion, I'll see a vintage Land Rover or two (usually Series II/ Series III models) on the road here in Michigan, but I've never seen an FC 101 in person until last week.
Granted, I had to leave the country (I was in Canada at the time) to find one, but the four-wheel-drive beast was rather impressive. Though the 101 wasn't Land Rover's first stab at a forward-control truck, it was perhaps the most successful. Built upon a bespoke chassis, the FC 101 answered the British Army's call for an air-portable tactical truck, and most of the units built between 1975 and 1978 went directly into military service.
I'd imagine such was the case with this example - not only does it still wear its requisite olive drab fatigues, but stickers on the windshield indicate it's registered in a historic military vehicle register of sorts.
While the combination of the 101's short wheelbase (101 inches, to be exact), stout powertrain (the famed Rover/Buick 3.5-liter V-8) and locking differentials make it great off the beaten path, I'm rather surprised to find it in the urban jungle. Leaf springs at all four corners would make for a fairly choppy ride, and there are hardly any creature comforts to be found inside the cabin.
Then again, isn't that what a true Land Rover is all about?