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Strange indeed, I've never looked that close at these types of vises before so never really thought about it.
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/180/The Argument for a Traditional Tail Vise
From the comments:
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Larry Williams
On a traditional tail vise it's not really an "L", it's a frame but part of it is under the bench top.
One side of that rectangular frame is the top of the vise and it provides resistance to racking.
It's actually a pretty rigid and strong structure.Bit of hints here: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?2945-Tail-vise-or-not-tail-vise
The magazine articles referenced by gary curtis on page #2 would perhaps shed some light or maybe not..
http://www.woodworking.com/ww/Article/Function_of_L_Vises_on_European_Benches_4106.aspx
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Many woodworkers mistake the short "L" of the vise as a convenient
spot for clamping. Please resist the urge, or you'll risk damaging the vise.
The reason for the 90-degree turn is to provide support for a wooden or metal rail that
guides the vise underneath the benchtop.