The Metropolitan Police’s heritage fleet, which includes a 1948 Wolseley and a 1983 Rover SD1, was relocated from Hampton Court traffic Garage to Hendon Driving school yesterday, travelling in convoy across central London.
The fleet of classic police automobiles consists of fourteen automobiles and motorbikes that have been involved in active police work over the last six decades. The automobiles are not on public display but they are used in public engagement events across London.
Advertisement – post continues below
• MG at 90: mega road test
Detective Sergeant Phil Hames, who manages the fleet, said: “These automobiles are much a lot more than old bits of metal – they are the heritage of the Metropolitan police service and all Londoners… It will be emotional to see the collection leave the gates of this stunning Victorian police station for the last time. They are a excellent ice breaker and always get a positive reaction.”
We’ve picked out some of the most interesting classic cop automobiles below. Make sure you tell us your much-loved in the comments section, or on social media: you can find us on Twitter (@AutoExpress) and Facebook.
Morris minor 1000 Panda Car
This Morris minor was built in 1970 and was used just like a police automobile is today – to respond to 999 calls and supervise local beat officers. With its 1.0-litre engine producing just 48bhp, it wasn’t exactly suited to high-speed chases.
Rover P6
This Rover P6 uses the same 160bhp 3.5-litre V8 from the production model, but this automobile is special: it features armour plating and bulletproof glass, indicating it weighs over two tonnes. It was used by the special Branch and for protecting royalty and the Prime minister between 1972 and 1983.
Wolseley 18/85
The 18/85 is the oldest automobile in the MET’s fleet, and features a built-in radio aerial hidden in the roof. The engine is a 2.3-litre straight-six, but with just 85bhp the Wolseley takes over 25 seconds to go from 0-60mph.
Rover SD1
This 1983 Rover SD1 is actually still officially a police patrol car, but it was only in active service until the early 1990s. thanks to the big V8 engine (producing 190bhp) it was generally used to patrol motorways and other fast roads.
Find out a lot more about the classic cop convoy here.