![\"Not](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity.jpg\" "\\"Not"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\nCop a load of these…<\/p>\n
Not all drivers appreciate the sight of a police car behind them, but at least these will get your attention for the right reasons\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Imagine how much more interesting it would be if the roads were patrolled by\u00a0Porsche 911s<\/strong>, or\u00a0Audi R8s<\/strong>, or\u00a0Honda NSXs<\/strong>?<\/p>\n Or a hot-hatchback like the\u00a0Ford Escort RS Cosworth<\/strong>, pictured, which saw service in the UK? Well, the police in one part of the world or other have used all these cars, and a whole lot more, so take a look at these:<\/p>\n Compact, agile and very eco, the BMW i3 has been adopted by numerous police forces around the globe for panda car work in urban environments. This is one of\u00a0100\u00a0<\/strong>electric i3s ordered by the Los Angeles Police Department, for urban patrols, at a cost of\u00a0$2.9 million<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While the deal has done much for LA\u2019s green credentials, the sand in the ointment is that Los Angeles is a large, sprawling conurbation, as you\u2019d have thought someone might have noticed. It seems officers have found the\u00a080-100 mile<\/strong>\u00a0single-charge range a challenge, and so the i3s are not used as much as the department\u2019s more conventional vehicles, and in 2020 many were sold off.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Fairlady Z\u00a0<\/strong>is better known as the\u00a0350Z\u00a0<\/strong>in most places outside Japan, and was the car that marked the company\u2019s revival as maker of interesting cars after a near-death experience in the late 1990s. But this particular model is more notable still, as it\u2019s the tuned up\u00a0Nismo<\/strong>\u00a0version. A significant number of them were placed into the service of the Tochigi Prefecture police force in central Japan in 2008.<\/p>\n This Nismo version only boosted the\u00a0304bhp\u00a03.5-litre\u00a0<\/strong>V6 up to\u00a0310bhp<\/strong>, but added delectable goodies including a Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD), uprated suspension, a new traction control system, a NISMO aerodynamics package, and\u00a0Brembo brakes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Dodge\u2019s first official police package was offered on the Coronet from 1956. The 1959 model, shown here, came with a\u00a0314bhp\u00a0<\/strong>Hemi V8, push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission and the distinctive, be-finned \u2018Forward Look\u2019 styling pioneered by its designer\u00a0Virgil Exner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey go from standstill to highest pursuit speeds in a flash,\u201d crowed an advertisement, \u201chandle, corner and stop like no other car you\u2019ve ever seen or driven.\u201d The Coronet was one of many contemporary police models to feature in the popular TV series Highway Patrol<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A Texan sheriff didn\u2019t want to have to drive a regular\u00a0Hummer H2<\/strong>; he wanted something a whole lot meaner. So he commissioned German tuning company\u00a0Geiger\u00a0<\/strong>to uprate things by supercharging the 7.0-liter V8 to produce\u00a0710bhp\u00a0<\/strong>and 667lb ft of torque \u2013 and to fit 28-inch wheels to make sure the car was as uncomfortable as it was fast.<\/p>\n Only Germany\u2019s most highly trained traffic cops got to drive one of these \u2018Baroque Angels\u2019, with its 2.6-litre V8 (later a 3.2-litre V8). BMW did all of the work in-house, building each car specifically for\u00a0Polizei\u00a0<\/strong>use.<\/p>\n OK, OK, we know it\u2019s not a car. But we\u2019re talking about\u00a0Venice<\/strong>\u00a0here, where police cars aren\u2019t much use. This barge is used to cart the local police\u2019s\u00a0prisoners\u00a0<\/strong>around.<\/p>\n Rover offered 2.0- and 2.2-liter four-cylinder P6s, but it was the\u00a03.5-litre V8<\/strong>, especially in\u00a03500 S manual\u00a0<\/strong>form, that was the perfect traffic car with its effortless highway performance. It was normally painted white, but the odd\u00a0Zircon Blue\u00a0<\/strong>car featured.<\/p>\n What\u2019s interesting about this particular car? We drove it a few years ago and discovered that it\u2019s armour plated, weighs 2000kg, and between 1973 and 1987 ferried around VIPs including members of the British royal family and then-prime minister\u00a0Margaret Thatcher<\/strong>. Much of the boot\u00a0was taken up with high-powered radio equipment.<\/p>\n The Italian traffic police were well known for their two\u00a0Lamborghini Gallardos<\/strong>, one of which was wrecked in a high-speed pursuit. Undeterred by this small setback, the Carabinieri has replaced the remaining Gallardo with a Hurac\u00e1n, used for carrying urgent human organ donations in a refrigerated compartment in the nose.<\/p>\n While North American police forces quite enjoyed using the somewhat villainous-looking\u00a0Chrysler 300\u00a0<\/strong>sedan, they lapped up its sister car, the Dodge Charger. So much indeed that Dodge made a special Police specification model, later named \u2018Pursuit\u2019. The current Pursuit model features a 3.6-litre V6 good for\u00a0296bhp<\/strong>, and is available with all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n This particular example is in service with the\u00a0Royal Canadian Mounted Police<\/strong>, roughly the equivalent of America\u2019s FBI.<\/p>\n The Mustang SSP is one of Ford\u2019s best-known pursuit vehicles. Its high-output 5.0-litre V8 gave a\u00a015.5-second\u00a0<\/strong>quarter-mile time and helped it \u201cchase Porsches for a living\u201d, according to contemporary advertising (pictured). Rack-and-pinion steering, power disc brakes and heavy-duty stabilizer bars helped it keep the 911s in view.<\/p>\n Following an arduous test program, in 1982 the California Highway Patrol, as the launch customer, purchased\u00a0400\u00a0<\/strong>of the specially equipped Mustangs, with a planned service life of\u00a018\u00a0<\/strong>months. Ford produced the Mustang SSP until 1993.<\/p>\n Another German police car favorite was the\u00a0Volkswagen Beetle<\/strong>, which was to be seen in towns and cities nationwide. In 1970 Volkswagen tried to get British police forces to adopt the Beetle as their Panda car of choice \u2013 but they chose to stick with\u00a0British marques\u00a0<\/strong>instead.<\/p>\n Nearly all unmarked police cars are cool, and we absolutely love small, hot unmarked police cars. This\u00a0Audi S3\u00a0<\/strong>is used by Surrey Police in southern England for highway enforcement. The S3 features a four-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing\u00a0300bhp<\/strong>, whose blistering 0-62mph time of just\u00a04.6 seconds\u00a0<\/strong>must often come in useful.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Range Rover\u00a0<\/strong>was one of the most popular traffic patrol cars throughout the 1970s. Cheshire Constabulary was the first to buy some, in April 1971, soon after the vehicle first went on sale. It was equipped with the famous GM-designed compact alloy V8 engine, which in this application delivered\u00a0130bhp<\/strong>, which doesn\u2019t sound much by modern standards. However, its 186lb ft of torque was capable of pulling a fully laden truck out of the way,\u00a0which is why the police loved their Rangies.<\/p>\n First established back in 1948, Unimog is the famed\u00a0go-anywhere<\/strong>\u00a0all-wheel drive commercial brand of\u00a0Mercedes-Benz<\/strong>. They\u2019re widely used by fire and forestry departments, and come into their own in winter weather. This particular example is equipped with a front scoop, collecting equipment and signage in connection with policing the demonstrations during the\u00a0G20 Hamburg summit<\/strong>\u00a0held in 2017.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t know how highly trained the Dubai police drivers are, but presumably they go through plenty of\u00a0extra testing\u00a0<\/strong>(and retesting) to get behind the wheel of one of the force\u2019s two\u00a0Bugatti Veyrons<\/strong>. The Veyron features\u00a0a W16 engine with four turbochargers, belting out\u00a01000bhp<\/strong>, and capable of a\u00a0253mph\u00a0<\/strong>top speed. More than enough to keep Dubai\u2019s boy racers in check, we presume.<\/p>\n Police vehicles tend to get very heavy usage compared to normal cars. After all, they spend most of their time out and about on patrol and responding to emergencies. As such, the limited range of many electric vehicles, combined with the amount of time needed to recharge them compared to the five minute fill-up of a normal car, would seem to make them less-than-perfect.<\/p>\n However, with a real-world range of around\u00a0250 miles<\/strong>, the\u00a0Tesla Model S\u00a0<\/strong>has one of the longest of any electric car. And they are also extremely fast. But the icing on the cake of this particular application is that Luxembourg is a small place (34 miles wide and 50 miles high at its extremes), so range is less of an issue than it might be elsewhere.<\/p>\n London\u2019s\u00a0Metropolitan Police\u00a0<\/strong>bought a big batch of these two-seater glassfiber-bodied sports cars for its traffic division. With each one powered by an incredibly flexible 2.5-liter V8, they were just the job for catching villains like bank robbers.<\/p>\n This 1935 Buick was adapted for police use with spotlights, gun ports and, most likely, bullet-proof glass, but Buicks of the period already came with safety glass \u2013 one of a number of engineering features that marked them out from the competition.<\/p>\n The straight-eight-powered 1935 models also boasted an accelerator starter and Knee Action independent front suspension. Knee Action was a pioneering design by one of the greatest names in vehicle dynamics, Maurice Olley. Having previously worked at\u00a0Rolls-Royce<\/strong>, the Briton Olley would go on to develop the chassis and suspension of the\u00a0C1 Corvette.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a standard 1.8-liter MGB GT, but in V8 form the B was a popular unmarked car as few drivers expected a two-seater sports car to be on patrol. One of the forces that used unmarked MGB GT V8s was Britain\u2019s\u00a0Thames Valley Police<\/strong>, which now has a base in part on MG\u2019s old factory at Abingdon, 10 miles south of the city of Oxford.<\/p>\n With a 2.9-liter V6 in the nose, the\u00a0Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio\u00a0<\/strong>packs a\u00a0510bhp\u00a0<\/strong>punch that\u2019s enough to take it all the way to\u00a0191mph\u00a0<\/strong>with 0-62mph available in all of\u00a03.9 seconds<\/strong>. We\u2019d say that\u2019s quite a rapid response vehicle.<\/p>\n When Datsun launched the 240Z in Japan in 1971 there were three options: the regular hatch, the 240Z-L and the 240Z-G, pepped up to give a top speed of\u00a0<\/span>131mph<\/strong>. Given away by its faired-in headlights, this 240Z-G served as a patrol car with the Kanagawa Prefecture Highway Police from March 1972, since when it\u2019s racked up\u00a0<\/span>370,940km\u00a0<\/strong>(232,000 miles).<\/span><\/p>\n This 1991 Camaro is still operated by the Michigan State Police and is located at its training academy at\u00a0Dimondale<\/strong>. The cars were operated for high speed patrol duties, but this one is now in semi-retirement alongside a 1992\u00a0Ford Mustang\u00a0<\/strong>and a 1995\u00a0Chevrolet Caprice.<\/strong><\/p>\n With its hatchback configuration the 924 offered practicality like no previous Porsche had been able to. It might not have been the fastest car on the road with its\u00a02.0-liter\u00a0<\/strong>engine, but the 924 handled superbly and was capable of keeping up with faster cars driven in desperation by criminals who lacked the driver training of the\u00a0traffic cops<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In the early 1960s Italy\u2019s criminals were getting increasingly speedy cars and the police\u2019s Alfa 1600 and 2600s could barely keep up. Famous Rome \u2018flying squad\u2019 officer\u00a0Armando Spatafora<\/strong>\u00a0somehow persuaded the city to stump up for a couple of Ferrari 250 GTEs to try and even the odds. Power came from a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 good for around\u00a0237bhp<\/strong>. Despite training from Ferrari itself, one officer sadly wrecked one of them within weeks, leaving just one survivor, which plied its trade until 1968.<\/p>\n It then passed into private ownership. Today it\u2019s the only private car in Italy with permission to take to the roads equipped with a siren, blue light and \u201cSquadra Volante\u201d livery. It was put up for sale in 2020.<\/p>\n Have we got room for another Mustang? You bet. Florida-based tuning company\u00a0Steeda Autosport\u00a0<\/strong>has been supplying marked and unmarked police cars for more than 20 years. Launched in 2016, the company\u2019s Ford Mustang Interceptor could be ordered with or without livery \u2013 and with or without a supercharger. In normally aspirated form the 5.0-liter V8 pumps out\u00a0497bhp\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 and with a Whipple supercharger bolted on this rises to a very fruity\u00a0788bhp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Another high-speed Japanese police car, this time in the service of police in the Japanese province of Saitama, just north of Tokyo. It appears there\u2019s only one in operation, sadly. The\u00a0R34\u00a0<\/strong>was produced between 1999 and 2002, and is so celebrated that it\u2019s widely known as \u2018Godzilla<\/strong>\u2019 \u2013 on account of its brutishly effective 2.6-liter twin turbo, good for\u00a0332bhp<\/strong>, 0-60 in\u00a04.6sec\u00a0<\/strong>and top speed of\u00a0156mph<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As all (non-police) cars in Japan are legally restricted to\u00a0112mph\u00a0<\/strong>outside racetracks, this should be enough, we reckon.<\/p>\n The roads of France were notably lethal in the 1970s – over\u00a014,000\u00a0<\/strong>people were to die on them in 1976. This compared to\u00a03398\u00a0<\/strong>deaths in 2023, when the country had\u00a031 million\u00a0<\/strong>more <\/em>people in it and many million more cars. To combat the dire situation in the \u201870s, the French police resolved to crack down on speeding, bad driving and calm the general carnage with cars like this A310.<\/p>\n The French gendarmerie took delivery of\u00a0seven\u00a0<\/strong>A310s in 1977, and at least two of them are still in the force’s private museum collection. Power came from a\u00a0150bhp\u00a0<\/strong>2.7-liter V6, which gave a\u00a0137mph\u00a0<\/strong>top speed. A total of\u00a09276\u00a0<\/strong>V6 A310s were built between 1976 and 1984.<\/p>\n Britain\u2019s\u00a0Humberside Police\u00a0<\/strong>were quick to jump on the opportunities offered by the Lexus IS F, a car first launched in 2007. The car offered a 5.0-liter engine good for\u00a0422bhp\u00a0<\/strong>and a\u00a0168mph\u00a0<\/strong>top speed, but for Autocar readers the most interesting fact is that this was we believe the first\u00a0V8-engined<\/strong>\u00a0car in full-time UK police operation since the glory days of the Rover SD1\u2019s 3500.<\/p>\n And the V8 must have come in handy, as the car had to cart around heavy extra equipment including a computer, four-way camera system and two radios. It was a command car for the force\u2019s\u00a0vehicle crime unit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The SD1 came in four- and six-cylinder forms and many British police forces used them for regular policing duties. But it was the 3.5-liter\u00a0Buick-designed\u00a0<\/strong>alloy V8 that was fitted to traffic division squad cars. It remains one of the country\u2019s most-loved police cars, its hero status cemented by an event in\u00a0May 1987<\/strong>:<\/p>\n One day two police Rover SD1 V8s were involved in a race against time to deliver a\u00a0new liver organ donation<\/strong>\u00a0from the runway at\u00a0Stansted Airport<\/strong>, North East of London, to a desperately ill patient at a hospital in\u00a0West London<\/strong>; police helicopters were grounded by discovery of a major engine fault.<\/p>\n Travelling down the M11 motorway at speeds of up to\u00a0120mph\u00a0<\/strong>and then tearing through a heavily congested London on a Friday lunchtime, the 29-mile journey took just\u00a031 minutes<\/strong>. The liver got to the hospital with just five minutes to spare; the patient was operated on, and she survived.<\/p>\n Dearborn<\/strong>\u00a0may be famous as the hometown of the Ford Motor Company, but that doesn\u2019t mean all the vehicles in its police department fleet bear a blue oval. No, the fleet also includes this Humvee. We don\u2019t know the exact story of how it came to be in the fleet, but it\u2019s likely that it\u2019s ex-military.<\/p>\n A lot of surplus military equipment found its way to America\u2019s police departments during the 2010s as it was no longer needed after widespread troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. Shuttered by GM in 2010, the Hummer nameplate has put in a reappearance on a range of GMC EVs.<\/p>\n A favorite with\u00a0Greater Manchester Police<\/strong>, one cop, now retired, reminisces: \u201cThe Capri was ahead of its time as a pursuit vehicle, nothing could lose them. Superb when it was dry, but when it was wet \u2013 oh my god! The back end always came round, if you gave it too much gas as you went into a corner. In winter we would frequently take out equipment and put\u00a0sandbags\u00a0<\/strong>in to keep the back-end down\u201d.<\/p>\n Police forces across Europe used the\u00a0Porsche 356\u00a0<\/strong>as a patrol car; these early Porsches were popular in Germany, Belgium and Holland, as well as Austria. This 356 was one of around\u00a040\u00a0<\/strong>used by Dutch police. One of just three survivors, Bonhams sold it for a hefty\u00a0\u20ac235k\u00a0<\/strong>in October 2014.<\/p>\n In 2021 Alpine produced a bespoke version of its A110 sports car specifically for rapid-response teams of the French gendarmerie. This arm of the French police famously used the original A110 model back in 1966 as a rapid response vehicle.<\/p>\n Each A110 is kitted out with a bespoke emergency service livery, reflective front and rear decals and a blue flashing light on its roof. The cars are equipped with the same 1.8-litre four cylinder engine as the standard car, producing 252bhp and 236lb ft of torque. Inside, the model gains a host of specialist equipment, including a police radio and a bespoke. And it looks awesome\u2026<\/p>\n Before the country\u2019s police was unified, Scotland\u2019s Northern Constabulary had the job of policing some of its most rural and rugged highlands and islands regions, including the\u00a0tallest mountains<\/strong>\u00a0to be found in the whole of the UK.<\/p>\n Previously equipped with elderly Snow Tracs, in 1982 the force took delivery of the Garron tracked ATV as pictured here. Records suggested it played a crucial role during the region\u2019s often harsh winters, and assisted in many mountain rescues and assisting homeowners marooned by heavy snowfall. A cool machine indeed.<\/p>\n A genuine Group B rally hero, just\u00a0153\u00a0<\/strong>examples of the\u00a0RS200\u00a0<\/strong>were built, each one packing a turbocharged BDA engine behind the cabin. Essex Police toyed with the idea of using RS200s as traffic cars, and we like to think they saw active service as a test for at least a short period, such is the immense cool factor of this car.<\/p>\n Not all police forces chose to go with Cosworth-tuned Fords; some decided to add different high-performance cars to their fleet. In the case of\u00a0Humberside Police\u00a0<\/strong>it was the\u00a0Subaru Impreza Turbo\u00a0<\/strong>that was the weapon of choice….<\/p>\n The Isle of Man, the UK crown dependency situated in the Irish sea, hosts the annual\u00a0TT\u00a0<\/strong>motorcycle race. It’s a famously tough and dangerous race that takes place on public roads, and attracts bike fans from all the the world each summer.<\/p>\n In 2017, the local police took delivery of this\u00a0170mph 309bhp\u00a0<\/strong>pocket supercar to try and keep order. Weighing just 580kg (1276 lb) and capable of 0-62mph in just\u00a02.7 seconds<\/strong>, it\u2019s perhaps the closest any road car gets to being a superbike. Its only driver has advanced-driver training, also rides a police motorcycle, and is also a collision investigator.<\/p>\n With a top speed of\u00a012.5mph<\/strong>, the two-wheeled self-balancing Segway scooter would seem to be a strange choice of police \u2018car\u2019. However, Segway released a special i180 Police package back in 2005, and Chicago ordered 100 of them in 2006. Segway followed it up with a police version of the i2 follow-up model.<\/p>\n They have been used for urban patrols during the 2008\u00a0Beijing Olympics\u00a0<\/strong>and are thought to be in use by over\u00a0100\u00a0<\/strong>police agencies worldwide for use in environments like pedestrianized city centers, college campuses, airports and shopping malls.<\/p>\n With\u00a0150mph\u00a0<\/strong>potential and four-wheel drive to help get the prodigious power down, the\u00a0Cosworth-tuned Sierra\u00a0<\/strong>was exactly what police forces needed to keep up with villains who had ever faster and more sophisticated get-away vehicles.<\/p>\n As you’ve seen in this feature, EVs have started to be used by police forces in the past few years, as EVs have generally become more capable with the longer ranges that police patrol use often requires.<\/p>\n Several police forces in the UK have begun evaluation Ford’s\u00a0Mustang Mach-E\u00a0<\/strong>Standard Range for police use. Promised performance of the new police car is startling: 0-62mph in\u00a03.7sec<\/strong>\u00a0and a top speed of 111mph. It’s funny to think that one day nearly all police cars will be EVs, and we’re just at the start of the process.<\/p>\n Famously engineered with the help of F1 star\u00a0Ayrton Senna\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 whose McLaren race car was powered by Honda engines at the time \u2013 the mid-engined NSX remains one of Japan\u2019s most celebrated sports cars. The NSX was sold as an\u00a0Acura\u00a0<\/strong>in North America, and this particular one was donated by Honda to the Tochigi Prefecture in central Japan and intended to chase modified street racing cars.<\/p>\n This first generation model was equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 which delivered\u00a0280bhp\u00a0<\/strong>and a\u00a0168mhp\u00a0<\/strong>top speed.<\/p>\n Not simply a PR stunt, the Gendarmerie\u2019s\u00a0Renault Megane RS\u00a0<\/strong>is a common sight on French highways. Since 2011, Renault\u2019s fastest and most powerful model has loaned its turbocharged four-cylinder engine to help law enforcement officials catch up to speeding drivers. The RS is certainly better suited to the job than a Peugeot Partner with a\u00a090bhp\u00a0<\/strong>turbodiesel engine, often the Gendarmerie\u2019s usual ride these days.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sadly, its days may be numbered. An unverified report claims the RS fleet is too expensive to maintain so Gendarmes will instead employ some of the high-horsepower machines they seize to catch bad guys instead, along with the new A110 <\/strong>as already seen.<\/p>\n This car was first owned by Argentinian soccer star\u00a0<\/span>\u00c1ngel Di Maria<\/strong>. It seems a later owner \u2013 not connected with Di Maria – was a suspected\u00a0<\/span>drug dealer<\/strong>. Authorities in Portugal confiscated it in 2014 and instead of selling it as is usual, they decided to press the V8 supercar into service instead with the Pol\u00edcia de Seguran\u00e7a P\u00fablica, a mostly urban police force.<\/span><\/p>\n After the\u00a0Sierra RS Cosworth\u00a0<\/strong>came the Cossie-powered Escort, a rally car homologation special which featured a turbocharged\u00a0233bhp\u00a0<\/strong>2.0-liter engine; top speed was\u00a0150mph<\/strong>. This one was run by Northumbria Police in northern England. A total of\u00a07154\u00a0<\/strong>Escort Cosworths were built between 1992 and 1996, and survivors are increasingly valuable.<\/p>\n A Porsche. Check. A 911. Check. A cabriolet. Check check. Yup, this Dutch police car is a cracker. The country\u2019s national guard \u2013 the\u00a0Rijkspolitie\u00a0<\/strong>(literally \u2018National police\u2019) \u2013 was tasked with policing the country\u2019s nascent highway system in the 1960s, when they didn\u2019t have speed limits, and needed fast cars to to it with.<\/p>\n It eventually bought\u00a0507 Porsches\u00a0<\/strong>of various shapes and sizes, including this marvellous 911 964 Cabriolet. Sadly the force was abolished in 1993 and by the looks of things, the days of Dutch police Porsches are now behind us. Shame.<\/p>\n The previous Jimny was in production for nearly 20 years and pretty much had the market for tiny go-anywhere SUVs to itself in the markets it was sold in. A new model arrived in 2018 and was even tinier, but with funkier looks and a much-improved interior.<\/p>\n Hats off to Italy\u2019s\u00a0Carabineri<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0for taking delivery of the model for its fleet, where it will doubtless come in handy in the numerous mountainous parts of the country. We hope they bought a few though; strict fleet emissions rules that its time on the European market was a very short one, sad to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first Porsche-badged cars were made in Austria, so it’s perhaps fitting that the country’s gendarmerie used the 911. As with the\u00a0356\u00a0<\/strong>that came before, the Dutch, Belgian, German and Austrian police all had 911s on their highway patrol fleets.<\/p>\n This\u00a0911T Targa\u00a0<\/strong>is unusual in that it features a rear windscreen wiper; let’s hope the third cop in the picture has his own transport; the 911 isn\u2019t ideal for carrying three policeman-sized adults…<\/p>\n Like many police forces, those in the Czech Republic regularly confiscate smart cars bought by crooks with ill-gotten gains. They are usually sold and the proceeds returned to the government, but in this case this 2011 Ferrari, originally coloured red, was resprayed and converted into a police car for a cost of\u00a0$11,000\u00a0<\/strong>or so in 2022.<\/p>\n The Czech authorities said that it will be used to chase stolen cars and curb illegal street racing \u2013 and only helmed by the forces most trusted and trained drivers. We reckon it would be an honour (almost) to be pulled over by such a vehicle\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0SLK\u00a0<\/strong>was a stylish and wildly popular cars at launch, but we can\u2019t quite see why an\u00a0SLK200\u00a0<\/strong>would find much to appeal to a police force. It only has two-seats, isn\u2019t very fast, and has little carrying capacity for the kit most police cars cart around. Having said all that,\u00a0we love it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As this seems to be a one-off, as with other such cars in this story we can only assume it was confiscated from some unfortunate villain and press-ganged into more wholesome service.<\/p>\n Some police forces used the original\u00a0Lotus Cortina\u00a0<\/strong>and while the second take on Ford\u2019s hot sedan never captured the imagination like its predecessor, the Cortina Lotus Mk2 is still a very lovely (and swift) thing with its\u00a01.6-litre\u00a0<\/strong>twin-cam Lotus engine.<\/p>\n Not all of Germany\u2019s police were lucky enough to get into one of the V8-powered BMW sedans we saw earlier; most had to drive around in one of these titchy panda cars instead, with a\u00a0298cc\u00a0<\/strong>two-cylinder engine. Fast, no. Notable, definitely.<\/p>\n The new Alpine A110 police car is pretty darned cool but… Autocar\u2019s most interesting police car, \u00a0is still\u2026 the original\u00a0Alpine A110<\/strong>. Not only do we love the car, but we also adore every aspect of this old school photo. The French Gendarmerie acquired a small number of A110s in 1966 when the government enacted strict speed limits and politely asked they be enforced as laws, not general suggestions.<\/p>\n The Gendarmerie deployed the A110 to catch speeding drivers who either hadn\u2019t gotten the message or didn\u2019t take it seriously. Power came from a\u00a01296cc\u00a0<\/strong>4-cylinder engine, producing\u00a0125bhp<\/strong>. The lightness of the car – just\u00a0770kg (1694 lb)\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>– ensured sprightly performance for the time; 0-60mph took\u00a08.2 seconds<\/strong>, with a top speed of\u00a0134mph<\/strong>. Probably annoyed by the coupe\u2019s cramped cabin, the force later added\u00a0Citro\u00ebn\u00a0SMs to its high-speed fleet in the early 1970s. The original A110 was produced between 1961 and 1977;\u00a08201\u00a0<\/strong>examples were built. Renault acquired Alpine in 1973.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n53: BMW i3 (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-1.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n52: Nissan Fairlady Z Nismo (Japan)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-2.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n51: Dodge Coronet Police Car (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-3.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n50: Hummer H2 (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-4.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n49: BMW 501 (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-5.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n48: Prisoner barge (Italy)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-6.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n47: Rover P6 3500S (Britain)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-7.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n46: Lamborghini Hurac\u00e1n (Italy)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-8.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n45: Dodge Charger (Canada)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-9.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n44: Ford Mustang Special Service Package (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-10.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n43: VW Beetle (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-11.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n42: Audi S3 (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-12.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n41: Range Rover (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-13.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n40: Unimog (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-14.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n39: Bugatti Veyron (Dubai)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-15.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n38: Tesla Model S (Luxembourg)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-16.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n37: Daimler SP250 (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-17.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n36: Buick Four Door Sedan (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-18.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n35: MGB (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-19.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n34: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (Italy)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-20.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n33: Datsun 240Z (Japan)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-21.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n32: Chevrolet Camaro (United States)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-22.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n31: Porsche 924 (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-23.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n30: Ferrari 250 GT\/E (Italy)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-24.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n29: Ford Mustang (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-25.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n28: Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R (Japan)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-26.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n27: Alpine A310 (France)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-27.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n26: Lexus IS F (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-28.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n25: Rover SD1 (Britain)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-29.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n24: Humvee (USA)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-30.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n23: Ford Capri 2.8i (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-31.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n22: Porsche 356 (Netherlands)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-32.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n21: Alpine A110<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-33.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n20: Highland Garron (Scotland)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-34.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n19: Ford RS200 (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-35.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n18: Subaru Impreza (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-36.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n17: BAC Mono (Isle of Man)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-37.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n16: Segway (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-38.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n15: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (Britain)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-39.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n14: Ford Mustang Mach-E (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-40.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n13: Honda NSX (Japan)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-41.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n12: Renault Megane RS (France)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-42.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n11: Audi R8 (Portugal)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-43.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n10: Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Britain)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-44.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n9: Porsche 911 (964) (Netherlands)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-45.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n7: Suzuki Jimny (Italy)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-46.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n6: Porsche 911 Targa (Austria)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-47.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n5: Ferrari 458 Italia (Czech Republic)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-48.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n4: Mercedes-Benz SLK (Bulgaria)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-49.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n3: Ford Cortina Lotus Mk2 (UK)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-50.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n2: BMW Isetta (Germany)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-51.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n
\n1: Alpine A110 (France)<\/h2>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/police-cars-as-cultural-icons-how-law-enforcement-vehicles-reflect-power-technology-and-national-identity-52.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n<\/p>\n