GKA 394D This 1960’s ex-Liverpool City Police Zephyr was used as a traffic car and ended its police life as a VIP escort duty car. It has since been used as a taxi and as a TV prop car. As of 2013, it is stripped and being refurbished.
PGW 834L An Austin 1100. This preserved police car is seen here attracting the attention of passing Londoners, bringing them towards a police crime prevention roadshow.
The rear view of the crowd puller.
M859 AWS Here is a Vauxhall Senator 24v traffic car that was in use by Avon and Somerset here in 1995. It is posed on the Second Severn Crossing just prior to it opening.
C398 LEG Here is a 1985 Ford Escort model from Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
827 NTC An MG A Roadster dating from 1960. This type of police vehicle was used for traffic policing duties, including on the new motorways. Notice the large black wailing siren mounted on the front.
A closer look at the illuminated police sign and amber warning light (a predecessor of the blue flashing light).
A look over the shoulder of the driver. It was normal practice to drive the car with the roof folded down so other motorists could see the police uniforms.
On the rear is an illuminated ‘police stop’ sign. The ‘stop’ part would be illuminated when requiring a motorist to pull over. This was done by first overtaking the target car, in contrast to today where stops are made from behind.
GUU 101W This is very well preserved example of a Metropolitan Police Land Rover dating from 1980.
OEB 580H This is a Ford Lotus Cortina police car. It is a high performance car that was collaboratively made by Ford and Lotus in the 1960s.
The rear view.
VUO 719J This is a 1971 Triumph 2000 police car that saw service with Exeter City Police.
The rear view.
SUK 530S This is classic Triumph 2500TC police car that saw service with West Midlands Police from 1977. Notice the two white spotlamps on the roof, a common feature of traffic vehicles from this era.
UCE 380K Here is a classic Triumph Toledo police car replica. This type of car was used to patrol rural Nottinghamshire in the early 1970s. Notice the black roof.
The rear view. The blue light has been covered up with black material to help avoid people thinking it is an active police car and to comply with the road vehicle lighting regulations. The police signs are magnetically attached.
D447 KVM This photograph shows a Greater Manchester Police Ford Capri when it was in active service.
D439 KVM A Ford Capri traffic policing car, sister vehicle of the one above. This preserved vehicle looks exactly as it did when it was in service with Greater Manchester Police in the 1980s.
One of the trademarks of 80’s traffic police cars was the enormous rear police sign. You can see here how it looks like a spoiler and lights up with ‘police’ on the left hand side and can show ‘stop’ in red on the right.
B289 HAB This photograph shows a Range Rover that was in service with West Mercia from 1985 to 1988. It was part of the traffic policing division. It is now preserved and is at present only missing the force crest from the front doors and the calibrated speedometer from the centre of the dashboard.
LAR 988C This Ford Anglia dates from 1965 and was made famous by appearing in many episodes of the vintage police television show Heartbeat. Notice the white doors and front half of the roof. There is also a ‘police’ roofbox fitted with a blue flashing beacon on top. This type of box and beacon set-up was in use on UK police cars through to the mid 1990s.
WRO 509E This is another very similar Ford Anglia that appeared on Heartbeat. In the background you can see Aidenfield Stores. Aidenfield is the ficticous setting for the TV show – it is actually the village of Goathland near the North Yorkshire coast.
HRL 999L This is an ex-Metropolitan Police Rover P6 3500 V8. The car carries almost no indication it is for police use, except for the blue rotating beacon and spot lamps. It dates from 1973 and is now in preservation.
NLX 258L This is a black Morris Mini van dating from 1972. It was for sale in early 2009 for £5750, much more than when the car was new!
The rear view of the Mini.
Here is a police officer and cycle from yesteryear. Notice the white bands on the ends of the sleeve that are used to show that he is on duty.
K244 EYT is preserved Rover Metro from the Metropolitan Police. The wheel trims were removed by the force to reduce the chance of them causing injury or damage if they came off during high speed driving.
The rear view of the immaculate looking Rover.
VBF 594 This classic police car is a Jaguar Mk.II, the epitome of the 1960s police car. It has a small ‘police’ plate on the front and a single blue rotating beacon on the roof. Some forces mounted the ‘police’ plate on the roof.
PTD 975M is a Ford Consul of the Lancashire Constabulary. It is actually a Ford Granada but the smaller-engined versions were given the Consul name for the first few years of production. Notice the large black police sign on the roof and the black markings on the rear of the sides.
D676 FBP This is a 1987 BMW 528i that was in service with Hampshire Constabulary. It is now privately preserved as a police vehicle by a Hampshire police officer.
C307 BYO is a very well preserved example of a Metropolitan Police Rover SD1 3500. Notice the two siren units mounted below the bumper and the ‘police’ sign mounted on the tip of the bonnet.
A431 PTP This is a 1983 Jaguar 4.2 XJ6 police car. It was used by Hampshire police and is now preserved.
MWA 721P This icon of the 1970s is a Rover P6 3500. Popular with police forces across the country, this example was with South Yorkshire Police. The ‘3500’ in its name refers to the 3500 cc V8 engine that powered this car. Notice the police roof box, with blue rotating beacon on the top and two rear-facing red lights attached to the sides.
YYX 315T is a Land Rover 109 that was used in the late 70s and early 80s by South Yorkshire Police as an armoured vehicle. You can see the toughened windscreen and small windows on the sides. It has a small crest and ‘police’ wording on the side.
H217 YUC This is a Metropolitan Police BMW R80 motorcycle which is currently in preservation. Despite the fact that it is no longer in used, the vehicle has been kept fully operational.
The rear view of the bike showing the illuminating police sign and mast mounted blue rotating beacon.
A152 SUW This is a Metropolitan Police Rover SD1 3500. This car was a common site throughout the UK in the late 1970s and 1980s. It has two rotating beacons on the roof, as well an an illuminable ‘police’ sign mounted on the bonnet, between the headlights. Up the sides are red and yellow stripes and the Met’s logo. This livery was used up until the late 1990s.
The rear view of the same SD1. Notice that a large ‘spolier’ sign that has been fitted which illuminates ‘police’ and optionally ‘stop’. The Rover SD1 is often regarded as the best traffic policing car of its era. The Met actually stockpiled them when they heard Rover were to stop making them.
AOD 443B is a preserved Austin ‘black maria’ police van from the early 1960s.
ECU 348E In the same colour as the Austin is this Ford Transit police van. Notice the flashing blue beacon and horns on the roof.
The rear view of the Ford. The police in the UK started using the Transit at its introduction in the 1960’s, and still use it today.