Documenting UK emergency vehicles past and present

Next is a 2005 BMW 530 diesel. The…



Next is a 2005 BMW 530 diesel. The six cylinder turbo diesel engine makes 231 BHP giving the car an electronically controlled top speed of 155 MPH.



A close up view of the Premier Hazard light bar on the above BMW. Notice the unusual wind deflector before the light bar that aids aerodynamic stability at speed.

This is a BMW K 1200 GT motorbike…



This is a BMW K 1200 GT motorbike in an all over day glow livery. The only police marking on this motorbike is the difficult to see blue wording on the wind deflector.



The rear view showing the communications and control instrumentation on the handle bars and the lockable panniers.

NK05 KRF is a Bombardier Outlander Max quad bike…



NK05 KRF is a Bombardier Outlander Max quad bike developed for police use by Quad Tech. Specialist equipment may be carried on both the front or rear rack of the bike. Blue and white lights are fitted to the front. A telescopic pole has a blue light on the top too.



The rear view of the bike showing the all terrain tyres and long travel suspension.

This is the 2005 model specification of the…



This is the 2005 model specification of the Jaguar S-Type. This particular model is powered by a twin turbo 2.7 litre V6 diesel engine.



The rear view of the S-Type. The car is fitted out in a generic police livery but is fully operational.

B211 WPX is a preserved 1985 Volvo 2404GLT which…



B211 WPX is a preserved 1985 Volvo 2404GLT which was used by Hampshire Constabulary. It wears an extremely plain livery when compared to the battenburg vehicle above. Two blue rotating beacons are mounted on a roof rack.



The rear view. The car is powered by a turbo charged 2.3 litre petrol engine with a manual gearbox. This would have given the car a top speed of about 113 mph before the 1980’s light bar and police stop signs were attached.

This mark six Ford Fiesta is used by…



This mark six Ford Fiesta is used by Greater Manchester Police. The strangest feature of this cars livery is its unusual blue roof.



The rear view of this 1.4 litre diesel 5 door hatchback.

BP04 NYF is a heavily modified black armoured Land…



BP04 NYF is a heavily modified black armoured Land Rover Defender 110 used by Staffordshire Police. It features extensive modifications to the bonnet sides and roof of the vehicle, leaving room for only two small blue lights on its front bull bar.



The interior view shows us the practical rear bench seating and communication equipment mounted on the dashboard.

This is a police demonstrator vehicle of the…



This is a police demonstrator vehicle of the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder SUV. From the front, we can see the low profile roof light bar and additional LED lights mounted on the grill.



From this view, we can see the full battenburg livery on the side of the vehicle. It also carries additional police wording in the rear side windows.



The rear shot of this 4×4. The rear glass window can be opened independently of the rear tailgate.

This Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 260 is fully…



This Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 260 is fully kitted out for Police use, but unusually does not carry and light bar on its roof.



It is powered by a turbo charged four cylinder petrol engine, producing 260 BHP. The power is transmitted to the road through a rally developed four wheel drive system.

YK05 EDU This is a 2005 Vauxhall Astra in…



YK05 EDU This is a 2005 Vauxhall Astra in North Yorkshire’s battenburg livery.



Here is the rear shot of the same car. Notice how the livery and Crimestoppers information has been moulded around the shape of the bodywork at the rear.

P966 XHG Here is an unusual sight – a Met…



P966 XHG Here is an unusual sight – a Met police Vectra with a black bag over its light bar. This is because it is a privately-owned car used for filming. It cannot be legally used on the roads with the light bar or ‘police’ wording showing.

P787 GDA Another film car is this Met BMW…



P787 GDA Another film car is this Met BMW. It’s use is more obvious with the ‘film car’ sign on the roof, placed there by the television company Granada. This photo was taken at the studios where ‘Family Affairs’ and ‘The Bill’ are filmed.

Y943 PVS This is a head-on shot of…



Y943 PVS This is a head-on shot of a City of London Police Vauxhall Omega. Notice the small Crimestoppers advert on the bonnet.



Y945 PVS This is the the rear view of sister vehicle ‘943’.

Y901 PMX Here is a Mercedes M270 belonging to…



Y901 PMX Here is a Mercedes M270 belonging to the City of London Police. It has battenburg markings and has the City crest on the sides. The yellow spots on all sides indicate that it is used as an armed response unit.



The rear view of the M-class. You can see that the roof-mounted light bar has an integrated matrix message sign.

NX53 JVZ This VW is with Cleveland Police as…



NX53 JVZ This VW is with Cleveland Police as a cctv and crime prevention van. It does not have any blue lights as it usually stays in one area. It has a high telescopic mast with a video camera on top. The nearside also has a canopy and can be formed into a police information point.

Cumbria police also operate this silver Honda Blackbird…



Cumbria police also operate this silver Honda Blackbird 1100. It looks to be a temporary addition to the fleet because of the lack of blue lights on it. It is often used as an ice-breaker to talk to motorcyclists and would only patrol alongside another police bike.

NX51 LDN This Cleveland Police VW Transporter is being…



NX51 LDN This Cleveland Police VW Transporter is being used to transport equipment relating to collision investigations. The traffic officers are surrounded by police signs, cones, theodolites and floodlights.



The rear view of the same scene. Notice that the VW has a vector light bar on the front and a standard rectangular bar on the rear of its roof.

This is a semi-overt black Range Rover…



This is a semi-overt black Range Rover used by the Metropolitan Police’s royalty protection team (SO14). It is one of a fleet of identical Range Rovers which are used to protect royalty at home and abroad, visiting foreign royalty and royal buildings.



The rear view of another from the fleet. The temporary blue light bar (with police wording) is fixed to the roof rails and wired through the door seal. The Met logos are magnetic. The means the car can be quickly converted between covert and semi-overt guises depending on its use. The registration plates have been digitally disguised due to the work of these vehicles.