Category: Classic Police

D676 FBP Hamshire Constabulary BMW E28 5 Series

D676 FBP
Hamshire Constabulary
BMW E28 5 Series
This preserved traffic car was based at Cosham and patrolled the motorways around Portsmouth in the late 1980s. The car has 185 bhp and a top speed of 140 mph. Notice the boot-mounted police spoiler housing the police and stop signs. A multi-use vehicle, it also carried a gun box for armed deployments.

D183 TVK Northumbria Police Vauxhall Nova

D183 TVK Northumbria Police Vauxhall Nova dating from 1986. This car was used as a beat patrol car in the counties of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. It is the 1.2 litre engine example producing a maximum of 55 horsepower. When being pushed to the limit by a brave driver, it would accelerate to 60 mpis a model of  in 14 seconds and go on to a nerve-wracking top speed of 94 mph.

Later models saw a wide red stripe added to the sides, with a break for the crest on the front doors. This complemented the existing police box on the roof. The illuminated box could show the word ‘stop’ on the rear only and of course the blue rotating beacon is mounted on top for maximum visibility. This is a model of the actual vehicle.

HNJ 667D A 1966 DMW Deemster. A small fleet of such motorbikes were built in …



HNJ 667D A 1966 DMW Deemster. A small fleet of such motorbikes were built in Wolverhampton using Villers 250 cc engines. They were used by Sussex Police in the Lewes area. Notice that the bike carries a front registration plate and only has headlights to the front. Arm signals were used in place of indicators.



A look at the bike from the side. It is now in private ownership by one of the mechanics who originally built it.



The spartan controls show a telephone handset for contacting the control room and two circular duckets for storage.

K166 GWY A West Yorkshire Police Vauxhall Cavalier dating from 1993. It is the …



K166 GWY A West Yorkshire Police Vauxhall Cavalier dating from 1993. It is the powerful SRI model and was in service from 1993 to 1997. It is now preserved.



The rear view, showing the red-on-red chevrons and matrix sign where the registration plate usually sits. The registration plate has been placed on the bumper and an additional light added to illuminate it at night (a legal requirement). This rear arrangement was standard on West Yorkshire traffic vehicles right through to the mid Noughties.

F819 LOO A Ford Granada 2.9 4×4 that is in preservation. It is one of eight such cars …



F819 LOO A Ford Granada 2.9 4×4 that is in preservation. It is one of eight such cars that Ford produced and trialled in various police forces. The car shown was loaned to Wiltshire Constabulary in 1988 and was retired in 1991.



The car has many various changes from the standard model, the most noticeable being the aerodynamic casing for the roof-mounted lights. This was revolutionary but ultimately unsuccessful due to the increased cost.



A closer look at the special roof. The centre square flips up to display different messages to traffic behind. The appropriate message from a fixed selection is placed onto the vertical surface.



The rear of the concept car. The large white boxes on the boot lid are rear-facing flashing lights that operate when the boot is open.