[citation needed] The Saracen became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in Operation Banner in Northern Ireland as well as for its role in the South African government's enforcement of apartheid.

As a member of the FV 600 series, it shared a similar chassis to the FV601 Saladin armoured car, the Salamander airfield crash truck, and the Stalwart high mobility load carrier.

The punt chassis, suspension, and H-drive drivetrain remained similar, but the engine, transmission, and braking systems varied significantly.

Highly Improbable" of the TV series The Avengers (the penultimate episode with Diana Rigg in the female leading role), the villainous Dr Matthew Chivers (played by Francis Matthews) is trying to smuggle a Saracen FV 603 out of a British Army testing area by shrinking it to toy size with the help of a machine invented by his boss Professor Rushton (played by Noel Howlett).

In the Tom Sharpe novel Riotous Assembly, a Saracen is destroyed by an elephant gun fired by Constable Els of the South African Police.

In the 1983 debut album Script for a Jester's Tear, by British progressive rock group Marillion, the Saracen was referred to in the final song: "...crawling behind a Saracen's hull from the safety of his living room chair..." The lyrics of Forgotten Sons describe the conflict in Northern Ireland and the discrepancy between what was really happening and the perception of the conflict by the British public.

[17] The Saracen, which had been painted bright blue with black and white chequered stripes, was equipped with CCTV[15] and marked "RIOT" (but not "police").