Met Police Jaguar S Types
Discussion
There's a period photo of NVB 255E in one of the S-type books. It's white, single blue rooflight (no roofspots) and doesn't appear to have the 'police' sign on the bootlid as the one above does (it might possibly have one as the photo is from front quarter but it doesn't look like it does).
It also appears to have 1 front foglamp fitted on the nearside and a horn grille on the offside and, looking more closely, the ones in the driving school picture look to be the same, as does the black one earlier in the thread. I'd always assumed that they had two horn grilles in place of foglamps but possibly not?
It also appears to have 1 front foglamp fitted on the nearside and a horn grille on the offside and, looking more closely, the ones in the driving school picture look to be the same, as does the black one earlier in the thread. I'd always assumed that they had two horn grilles in place of foglamps but possibly not?
TarquinMX5 said:
It also appears to have 1 front foglamp fitted on the nearside and a horn grille on the offside and, looking more closely, the ones in the driving school picture look to be the same, as does the black one earlier in the thread. I'd always assumed that they had two horn grilles in place of foglamps but possibly not?
IIRC, all the Met spec cars other than the original batch of trial cars mentioned earlier in the thread, had the offside horn grille, and nearside fog lamp.TarquinMX5 said:
Thanks, IIRC the Jags were wired so that when fog lights were selected, the headlights were extinguished, so just the one light? Not unusual back then but it does seem strange now.
As you say, it was the norm back then, when car electrics were not up to the standard we know today.It was very common for people to drive around at night with just side lights on and not ever using headlights, again, partly due to dynamo's and not getting enough charge into batteries and using your headlights at night and you'd be left with a sluggish battery next morning. (add into that many people were only just getting used to 12v systems and you pretty much couldn't run the headlamps for too long with 6v)
It is very interesting to see the latest photograph of SUU487F, the Traffpol S-Type, taken from the rear of the car. The small "POLICE" sign on the bootlid was a feature of the white Traffic Division cars only. The black Area Cars did not have the word "Police" anywhere on the vehicle at all, relying solely on the fact that they looked so much like the understated police vehicles of the time that this was unnecessary. A million miles from the high-vis reflective markings and "'Elf and Safety" of today. The reason for this? Probably that white police cars were a new thing in London. County forces were way ahead of The Met in this regard, particularly those forces with the new motorways to patrol. As far as I can ascertain, the first white Met cars were the NVB---E Traffpol S-Types (unless someone knows otherwise). Perhaps the Met felt that the good people of London needed educating as to what police cars would look like in the future? More likely it was a matter of safety at the scene of accidents and road incidents
The car in the photograph has the later rear sign arrangement, where a bracket was bolted directly to the bootlid. Earlier cars had a very neat, specially made mounting which was sandwiched between the chrome number plate cover and the bootlid itself, and therefore did not require any drilling of the lid.
When we acquired SUU409F, which was always a black Area Car, someone had mounted a Police sign on the bootlid, as in the photograph of SUU487F, but I removed this as being incorrect. The same person had also fitted a Traffpol-only "Autotempo" or "AT" speedometer head to the car. This is also incorrect, but looked so good, and worked so well, that I left it alone.
Sadly, SUU409F had to be sold, due to an unforseen financial crisis, but I do hope to add to the fleet some time next year, if current plans come to fruition.
The car in the photograph has the later rear sign arrangement, where a bracket was bolted directly to the bootlid. Earlier cars had a very neat, specially made mounting which was sandwiched between the chrome number plate cover and the bootlid itself, and therefore did not require any drilling of the lid.
When we acquired SUU409F, which was always a black Area Car, someone had mounted a Police sign on the bootlid, as in the photograph of SUU487F, but I removed this as being incorrect. The same person had also fitted a Traffpol-only "Autotempo" or "AT" speedometer head to the car. This is also incorrect, but looked so good, and worked so well, that I left it alone.
Sadly, SUU409F had to be sold, due to an unforseen financial crisis, but I do hope to add to the fleet some time next year, if current plans come to fruition.
Minsterjagman said:
A million miles from the high-vis reflective markings and "'Elf and Safety" of today. The reason for this? Probably that white police cars were a new thing in London. County forces were way ahead of The Met in this regard, particularly those forces with the new motorways to patrol. As far as I can ascertain, the first white Met cars were the NVB---E Traffpol S-Types (unless someone knows otherwise). Perhaps the Met felt that the good people of London needed educating as to what police cars would look like in the future? More likely it was a matter of safety at the scene of accidents and road incidents
Yes, the S-Types were the first white Met Police TrafPol cars in service.....and yes, from memory it was a visibility reason. TrafPol was in its infancy in the Met at the time, there was no real car mounted TrafPol Division as such prior to the mid-60's as it was really just the Triumph motorcycle units only, and the Met's introduction of the small fleet of black Daimler SP250 Dart's were IIRC the first cars in TrafPol. It was this experience that promoted the expansion of the car fleet to include a bigger fleet of S-Type's when they were introduced, and the SP250's were then gradually got rid off. I remember seeing one of the last SP250's at Wembley Garage in around 1967 when on a visit with my Dad.Area/Crime cars didn't go full white/jam sandwich scheme (along with Panda's and vans etc) until 1980/1 era when the second batch of SD1's were introduced (first batch of 2600's were still blue for Area cars)
Bob the Cop said:
The white NVB Jags were 1967. I believe that the Met had a few white Sunbeam Tigers in 1966. Were these traffic cars?
Interesting.Never knew about them having some Tiger's.
My guess was they were TrafPol, and likely on test as possible replacements for the SP250's (as they went out of production in 1964) prior to the decision to expand the TrafPol side of the car fleet and adopt the S-Type for commonality once the decision had been made to adopt the S-Type in use alongside the 6/110's in '66.
Well, I certainly don't mind being corrected. I had forgotten about the Sunbeam Tigers! They were Traffic Division cars, and obviously pre-date the NVB---E Jaguars. There is no doubt that the vehicle depicted is a genuine Met car. I have a photograph of a class taken at the Driving School which shows JUL396D, a Humber Super Snipe, on the school fleet in 1966. I have also found that pretty much every Morris/Austin LD van registered to the Met in 1966 had a JUL registration on a D suffix.
Other than it being white, what convinces me that it is a Traffic car, is the fact that no divisional advanced driver would have been allowed anywhere near such a machine. Driving School instructors were almost always ex-traffic, and jealously guarded access to any unusual or exotic vehicles that occasionally came along. What Driving School said, went. It was they who decided who could drive what. Simply that! I was on a course at the Driving School in January 1984, and saw an entire order of brand new 2.8 Mark 2 Granadas returned to Ford because they had been delivered with power steering, (actually standard on this model by then) which was in direct contravention of Driving School dogma at that time. Ford responded by substituting the 2.8s with gutless 2-litre models, arguing that this was the only model available with manual steering. The Advanced Wing were then stuck with these cars for the duration!
I don't think that the Met bought that many of these Tigers, certainly nothing like the number of Daimler SP250s (called "Darts" until Dodge claimed the rights to the name) so it is great to see that at least one has survived.
Other than it being white, what convinces me that it is a Traffic car, is the fact that no divisional advanced driver would have been allowed anywhere near such a machine. Driving School instructors were almost always ex-traffic, and jealously guarded access to any unusual or exotic vehicles that occasionally came along. What Driving School said, went. It was they who decided who could drive what. Simply that! I was on a course at the Driving School in January 1984, and saw an entire order of brand new 2.8 Mark 2 Granadas returned to Ford because they had been delivered with power steering, (actually standard on this model by then) which was in direct contravention of Driving School dogma at that time. Ford responded by substituting the 2.8s with gutless 2-litre models, arguing that this was the only model available with manual steering. The Advanced Wing were then stuck with these cars for the duration!
I don't think that the Met bought that many of these Tigers, certainly nothing like the number of Daimler SP250s (called "Darts" until Dodge claimed the rights to the name) so it is great to see that at least one has survived.
Edited by Minsterjagman on Tuesday 6th December 14:41
Minsterjagman said:
Other than it being white, what convinces me that it is a Traffic car, is the fact that no divisional advanced driver would have been allowed anywhere near such a machine. Driving School instructors were almost always ex-traffic, and jealously guarded access to any unusual or exotic vehicles that occasionally came along. What Driving School said, went.
One of my Dad's friends in the job (who I got to know very well when I was a teenager) was TrafPol and an Insp at TDQ during the 1970's (he was also a pilot with a PPL and one of the senior people in the Met.Police Flying Club)
1966 seems to be the year that Met traffic vehicles went from black to white.
Triumph Saint motorcycles were black in 1965 (CYM...C registrations) and white in 1966 (JUL and JUC...D registrations).
The MGB roadster was also on the fleet. These were introduced in black in 1963. I do not know if any were changed to white in 1966 but I do recall white coloured MGB's in 1970. (H registration).
I was at Hendon in 1967 but moved to the City in 1968 where white vehicles were not introduced until 1970. The last remaining City S type SUU393F was replaced by a white Triumph 2500.
Triumph Saint motorcycles were black in 1965 (CYM...C registrations) and white in 1966 (JUL and JUC...D registrations).
The MGB roadster was also on the fleet. These were introduced in black in 1963. I do not know if any were changed to white in 1966 but I do recall white coloured MGB's in 1970. (H registration).
I was at Hendon in 1967 but moved to the City in 1968 where white vehicles were not introduced until 1970. The last remaining City S type SUU393F was replaced by a white Triumph 2500.
A 1971 episode of the “ Protectors “ ( Robert Vaughan and Nyree Dawn Porter ) and which I think is called “ Triple Cross “ has a brief appearance of a white Police S Type, it’s registration number appears ?? to be
B H E 8 8 4 G
It has white wheels, a blue roof light, 2 spot lights on the roof, no leaper on the bonnet, plus a Police plate mounted on the centre of the boot lid
Anyone else seen it ?
The episode featured Peter Bowls and Angarad Rees
B H E 8 8 4 G
It has white wheels, a blue roof light, 2 spot lights on the roof, no leaper on the bonnet, plus a Police plate mounted on the centre of the boot lid
Anyone else seen it ?
The episode featured Peter Bowls and Angarad Rees
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 12:31
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:34
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:41
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:42
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:43
far end of the heath main rd to the right of shot 
SS427 Camaro said:
A 1971 episode of the “ Protectors “ ( Robert Vaughan and Nyree Dawn Porter ) and which I think is called “ Triple Cross “ has a brief appearance of a white Police S Type, it’s registration number appears ?? to be
B H E 8 8 4 G
It has white wheels, a blue roof light, 2 spot lights on the roof, no leaper on the bonnet, plus a Police plate mounted on the centre of the boot lid
Anyone else seen it ?
The episode featured Peter Bowls and Angarad Rees
Yes, I watched that one recently, at the start of it Rees is riding in a dark coloured Series 1 XJ6. I think the same S-Type also appears in another episode.B H E 8 8 4 G
It has white wheels, a blue roof light, 2 spot lights on the roof, no leaper on the bonnet, plus a Police plate mounted on the centre of the boot lid
Anyone else seen it ?
The episode featured Peter Bowls and Angarad Rees
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 12:31
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:34
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:41
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:42
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 14:43
P5BNij said:
Yes, I watched that one recently, at the start of it Rees is riding in a dark coloured Series 1 XJ6. I think the same S-Type also appears in another episode.
MVC 204G looks to be the 4.2 XJ-6. No trace of it on DVLA sadly, but not surprising as they were utter rot boxes. Can you remember the other Protectors episode ?
Lack of a leaper makes me think that this S Type was a genuine Police car, that maybe was lent to the Producers ?
Would love to know where the locations with that S Type were shot !
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Monday 12th December 17:15
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