Offbeat cop cars

[aostling]

In an old movie I've seen the L.A.P.D. chasing bad guys in 1949 bathtub Nashes. In another movie they were using 1951 Kaisers.

Judging from what I've seen on TV, some U.K. municipalities actually had Rover cop cars. I used to own a 1966 Rover 2000 with red leather seats -- I assume the police version was otherwise upholstered.

Yesterday I visited the mining museum in Jerome, Arizona. I was overwhelmed by the number of possible forum subjects on display there. I entered only 30 minutes before closing time, so I did not have time to ask any questions, of which I had many. Here is a Studebaker cop car. It has an Arizona license plate, but I don't know what city it would have served in.

What strange cop cars have you seen?

[laddy]

Here in Rockville, Md we have a fire engine red Mustang 5.0. I have seen pick up trucks with fake bales of hay in the back to hide the radr camera for the State troopers. In Germany I used to see Isetta Polizei cars. They were a treat back in the 50's. Now, Alfa Romeo's and BMW's seem to be the hot cars. Fred

[LastOldDog]

Big lead sled patrol car

A city in SF Bay area had a 'souped up' 8cyl Packard with a Roots blower to patrol the new freeway running through their city to catch the drag racers 'breaking in' the new roadway. Little or no traffic at night then.

[darryl]

In Salisbury, Rhodesia, now Harare in Zimbabwe, cop cars were austins. It was funny to see the radar setups. One white guy in shorts peering intently into a wooden box set up by the side of the road. One black guy standing at attention further down the road. If you were seen to be speeding, the white guy would signal the black guy, who would point his finger at you as you approached him and yell YOU! You would definitely hear him, and then you could see the white guy trundling along to give you the ticket.

[aostling]

In Salisbury, Rhodesia, now Harare in Zimbabwe, cop cars were austins.

Darryl,

I'm curious, where did you go, after your Rhodesian days?

[John Stevenson]

In an old movie I've seen the L.A.P.D. chasing bad guys in 1949 bathtub Nashes. In another movie they were using 1951 Kaisers.

Judging from what I've seen on TV, some U.K. municipalities actually had Rover cop cars. I used to own a 1966 Rover 2000 with red leather seats -- I assume the police version was otherwise upholstered.

Yes the UK did use Rover 2000's as police cars and also the Triumph 2000 which came from the same badge engineered stable.

They were very up market for the time as they had just moved off the 6 cylinder Austin Westminsters which were a bit of a tank.

Just after we were married I used to do a lot of motorway recovery driving to make a bit of spare cash at nights and weekends.
One night the police were chasing someone up the motorway in one of these souped up Triumph 2000's and it threw a leg out of bed.
We got called in to recover it and took it back to the yard.
Later there was talk that it wouldn't be cost effective to repair this due to it's age, about 3 years old and the high milage.

I made enquiries and bought it from the police for a pittance, had totake it to thier workshops so they could remove the light bars, radio etc and then it was mine.
Bought a S/H lump and fitted just the bottom half and the police head and carbs and this made a really nice car.

At the moment they use off the shelf Volvo's, BMW's and Land rovers for motorway work and standard compacts for round town work.
One exception is each local force will have a special unmarked car for chase work.
Ours is a Subaru Impretza which has a top speed of 150 mpg and road holding to suit. Keeps the boy racers in check

.

[pgp001]

Are these weird enough for you, seen in Rome earlier this year

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10043752@N06/811534123/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10043752@N06/811533643/

Phil

[aboard_epsilon]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...30/mrmay30.xml

[platypus2020]

In Kyoto, Japan, they drove strange 3 wheeled carts.

In Russia, they drove Lada sedans, (a bad copy of a Fiat 128 or 131).

In Tianjin, China, they drove very old, badly smoking M-B diesel sedans, I have owned 5 diesels, and I didn't they could smoke that much and still run.

Apparently for "economy" reasons some of the NY state troopers are now driving extremely full size Chevy Yukons, must be their excellent fuel mileage.

Jack

[JRouche]

We drive broken down Chevy Caprice's with over a hundred grand on the odmeter. They call-em refurbished buy ripin the seats out and over stuffing them with padding and throwing on some new windsheild wipers. LOL JRouche

[HTRN]

What strange cop cars have you seen?

How about a pair of M113 Armored Personnel Carriers?



There are two of them in New York, they're kept out in Floyd Bennett Field, and generally they're only used during full blown riots - I heard rumors they were "prepositioned" during the Republican convention(1 north of the convention, 1 south of it), and during the last G8 conference. Hell, the NYPD has everything from Horses to 55 foot harbor patrol cutters.


HTRN

[oldtiffie]

Boot on the other foot

Deleted/erased-out

[darryl]

Allan, I was 19 when I went to Rhodesia, in 1970. I worked as a sound and light tech for a rock band for two years prior to that, and then there for some time. The day after our band got a gig doing a tv show two days a week, we had a huge fight and the whole venture was over. I've been back in my native Canada ever since, in Chilliwack, BC, near Vancouver.

I wish that I had taken better advantage of the situation at the time. I was too young though to actually realize what an opportunity it was to actually be there. I was set- I was somewhat in demand, in some small way (being an electronics tech) and could easily have paid my way myself. I kind of blew it, so did we all. We had a tv show, for crying out loud.

Anyway, that was a long time ago.

[matador]

No one appears to have noticed that the 'stude' is not true to label.
The electronic light bar didn't exist in the late 50's.Bring back the "gumball",I say!

[matador]

I remember the police in The Hague,Holland,(where I was born),had Willys Jeeps in the 50's.These had a tin top over the cab,and vertically sliding half doors. that they got VW beetles with the rear roof part cut of,and fitted with a cover.There was no back to the "cabin",so it must have been pretty cold in sub-zero temperatures.Later they went to standard beetles,then golf's.Mercedes,and other standard cars,including diesel's.The state police,who control the motorways have always had Porsches since the 50's.Also various other high-end cars.VW microbuses were mostly fitted with forward looking radar by cutting a sort of "door" in the front,using a half windscreen.
I believe they use rearward looking radar now,which fits in any standard car or van.

http://www.deklassieke912.nl/bestandenGeschiedenis/PolitieTarga.JPG

http://parkingspots.web-log.nl/photos/uncategorized/politie5.jpg

The Rolls is a spoof pic about policing an upmarket area.