Police car de-badging

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Charles Morgan

MB Enthusiast
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Feb 2, 2010
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Mercedes 250CE W114, Alfa Romeo GT Coupe 3.2 V6
I was walking along the Old Brompton Road this afternoon, and there was a police BMW 3 series stationary at traffic lights. Judging by the racket it was a diesel, so no chance of a silent arrest, and of course it had been de-badged. The rattle led me to think it was a mere 4 cylinder, and it occurred to me that the de-badging must have either for vanity or to con us into believing they are driving the high performance sixes. So have we been hoodwinked for all these years?! :)
 
Was it a marked car?? I know we used 'pressed' un marked vehicles from time to time so it could have been civvy before converted to job.

If it was marked then its more likey just to have been nicked off the car, very desirable BMW badges, not like those common MB stars ;)
 
Full jam sandwich logos.

There are more BMW 3 series on the road than Ford Mondeos. Nothing worth nicking there....:)
 
LOL,

Sounds like the badge has been pinched, all marked motors are standard now, from trimmings to the lump.

All they do now is put the stickers and lights on, the 3's are all 3ltr oil burners.
 
Crikey, noisy old six. Mercedes are sooo much quieter.
 
Wow, how times move on.

Out of interest, what other cars do the Met use nowadays?.

In Greece they all use crappy Citreon Xantias, Nissan Patrols and the nasty boys in Athens drive Jeep Grand Cherokees with tinted glass.
 
You can tell I'm getting old when the policemen in the car looked about 50....

All those doughnuts.
 
No pandas 'metros fiestas etc' any more so the marked fleet is:

Astra 'response vehicles'
BMW 3 series 'area cars'
BMW 5 series 'traffic cars'
Mitsubishi shogun 'traffic 4x4'
Mondeo estate 'dog van'
Mercedes Vano 'collision investigation'
Mercedes sprinter with converted ambulance shell 'riot units'


Unmarked fleet....... well that would be telling ;)
 
No pandas 'metros fiestas etc' any more so the marked fleet is:

Astra 'response vehicles'
BMW 3 series 'area cars'
BMW 5 series 'traffic cars'
Mitsubishi shogun 'traffic 4x4'
Mondeo estate 'dog van'
Mercedes Vano 'collision investigation'
Mercedes sprinter with converted ambulance shell 'riot units'


Unmarked fleet....... well that would be telling ;)

Plus some Renault Espace "special response" vehicles? And the odd Range Rover...
 
Special Escort Group, they are really, really, good solo riders and drivers who ensure the smooth passage of important folk round london and the country.

Most times.
 
This is what happens to Petty France when they all descend on Buckingham Gate for their lunch. :rolleyes:

lunch.jpg
 
No pandas 'metros fiestas etc' any more so the marked fleet is:

Astra 'response vehicles'
BMW 3 series 'area cars'
BMW 5 series 'traffic cars'
Mitsubishi shogun 'traffic 4x4'
Mondeo estate 'dog van'
Mercedes Vano 'collision investigation'
Mercedes sprinter with converted ambulance shell 'riot units'


Unmarked fleet....... well that would be telling ;)

You missed one, Vauxhall estate - "collector of coffee and doughnuts" :D
 
Unmarked fleet....... well that would be telling ;)
Along William IV St (behind the Strand) they park unmarked cars (mostly Zafiras) in bays marked "Police Vehicles Only". With the logbook/folder thing (marked "Police") on top of the dash. And sometimes with the driver's sunvisor (which says "Police" on the back) folded down :)
 
No pandas 'metros fiestas etc' any more

Ha ha.
That's reminded me of a run-in one of my mates had a few years ago.
He was on London's Charlotte Street, a little worse for wear (okay, he was having a pee in a doorway) when a red diplomatic protection car pulled up alongside him.
The officers politely suggested that he should find a more appropriate place to empty his bladder.
However, their mood quickly darkened when my mate insisted they weren't 'proper police' because they only had a Austin Maestro.
He spent the next few hours sobering up at Goodge Street police station.
 
Unmarked fleet....... well that would be telling ;)

Spoilsport. We don't need all the details...just enough to identify them....:devil:
 

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