Piggy in the middle of a high speed pursuit.
Discussion
I was reading a thread on the rights and wrongs of speeding when its right/safest to do so below and had a flashback.
It is circa 1983, my late dad is driving late at night up a quiet section of motorway near in his Capri 2.0 S at a perfectly acceptable "for the time" 80mph. Naturally as lone passenger I'm unbelted and unchild-seated in the front as was the way of the day. Shortly before some road works occur in the middle lanes and separate the flow to either hard shoulder or fast lane we are passed by a bat out of hell doing 120+ mph. I don't remember his steed sorry.
We opt for the same lane as Speedy. Dad sticks to 80mph though which is thrilling enough with things being narrowed a good slice by the cones. Shortly there after blue lights appear in our mirror, gaining fast. Within seconds a Rover SD1 is inches from our tail full lights and sirens ablaze. Dad,s gradually slowing to 70 which only appears to enrage the cops behind . They are waving arms and a clipboard in what looks like GO GO GO motion used by airport runway controllers .
Not encumbered by a belt, I climb around in the seat to confirm what's occurring not 12 feet behind me a yes indeed we are being ordered to speed up. 80 90, 100mph, YEA HAA. Are all followed by thumps ups and more GO GO GO hand signals by the 3.5L V8 SDI literally pushing us by now.
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph skimming past cones with the cops right on our tail offering encouragement for what must have been some of the longest road works of the 1980's
When they road works ended we ducked in and off the Police passed thumbs up in their pursuit at even higher speeds.
Neither Smokey or the Bandit were seen by us again. It was utterly AMAZING for and 8 year old, and possibly the catalyst that has lead to an adulthood of fast cars, track days, and lots of speeding points from officers who don't share my love for the good old days and the way rules could/and sometimes should be bent for the greater good.
It is circa 1983, my late dad is driving late at night up a quiet section of motorway near in his Capri 2.0 S at a perfectly acceptable "for the time" 80mph. Naturally as lone passenger I'm unbelted and unchild-seated in the front as was the way of the day. Shortly before some road works occur in the middle lanes and separate the flow to either hard shoulder or fast lane we are passed by a bat out of hell doing 120+ mph. I don't remember his steed sorry.
We opt for the same lane as Speedy. Dad sticks to 80mph though which is thrilling enough with things being narrowed a good slice by the cones. Shortly there after blue lights appear in our mirror, gaining fast. Within seconds a Rover SD1 is inches from our tail full lights and sirens ablaze. Dad,s gradually slowing to 70 which only appears to enrage the cops behind . They are waving arms and a clipboard in what looks like GO GO GO motion used by airport runway controllers .
Not encumbered by a belt, I climb around in the seat to confirm what's occurring not 12 feet behind me a yes indeed we are being ordered to speed up. 80 90, 100mph, YEA HAA. Are all followed by thumps ups and more GO GO GO hand signals by the 3.5L V8 SDI literally pushing us by now.
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph skimming past cones with the cops right on our tail offering encouragement for what must have been some of the longest road works of the 1980's
When they road works ended we ducked in and off the Police passed thumbs up in their pursuit at even higher speeds.
Neither Smokey or the Bandit were seen by us again. It was utterly AMAZING for and 8 year old, and possibly the catalyst that has lead to an adulthood of fast cars, track days, and lots of speeding points from officers who don't share my love for the good old days and the way rules could/and sometimes should be bent for the greater good.
They rover V8's get under the skin! I used to thumb a lift from my home town Blantyre to East Kilbride back in the mid-late 1970's finding myself in all sorts of chariots of the day. The one for me was the same, I remember watching the speedo fly past 90 with ease up hill and that sound, heaven for a young lad.
stevemiller said:
They rover V8's get under the skin! I used to thumb a lift from my home town Blantyre to East Kilbride back in the mid-late 1970's finding myself in all sorts of chariots of the day. The one for me was the same, I remember watching the speedo fly past 90 with ease up hill and that sound, heaven for a young lad.
Not old enough to have experienced the old Rover V8s. The Omega V6 that the plod used to use was certainly no slouch either though, my friend had a tuned ex police one in the late 00s/early 10s,in white, with a set of roof bars. Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
That's a cool story. A shame they don't have cool cars like the SD1 now as police cars.
I ended up being nearly taken out by a car in pursuit when I took my car for a test drive. I quickly spotted the trail of police cars and made some room for them. The last car gave me the thumbs up as all other road users appeared to be oblivious to the situation.
I think I gave the dealership a bit of a shock when they asked what I thought of the car only to reply "there was a police pursuit!"
I ended up being nearly taken out by a car in pursuit when I took my car for a test drive. I quickly spotted the trail of police cars and made some room for them. The last car gave me the thumbs up as all other road users appeared to be oblivious to the situation.
I think I gave the dealership a bit of a shock when they asked what I thought of the car only to reply "there was a police pursuit!"
Another reason to post this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTN5X4JZFjU
Never fails to get a smile from me. Was it an SD1 or Vitesse?.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTN5X4JZFjU
Never fails to get a smile from me. Was it an SD1 or Vitesse?.
caelite said:
Not old enough to have experienced the old Rover V8s. The Omega V6 that the plod used to use was certainly no slouch either though, my friend had a tuned ex police one in the late 00s/early 10s,in white, with a set of roof bars.
Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
Love the MV6 omegas Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
got one which is still fantastic todayGreat story, would love to read more like this!
No high speed police pursuit but my love of speed came from sitting in the back of a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, not too dissimilar to this one
I vividly remember us doing twice the limit along the A326 past Totton in Hants, sliding around on the leather seats on a long right hander and across a roundabout.
Remember having a little blast with a dark grey one last summer whilst on my GSXR600, god knows what he'd done to it but I couldn't shake him and it sounded like thunder!
No high speed police pursuit but my love of speed came from sitting in the back of a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, not too dissimilar to this one
I vividly remember us doing twice the limit along the A326 past Totton in Hants, sliding around on the leather seats on a long right hander and across a roundabout.
Remember having a little blast with a dark grey one last summer whilst on my GSXR600, god knows what he'd done to it but I couldn't shake him and it sounded like thunder!
caelite said:
stevemiller said:
They rover V8's get under the skin! I used to thumb a lift from my home town Blantyre to East Kilbride back in the mid-late 1970's finding myself in all sorts of chariots of the day. The one for me was the same, I remember watching the speedo fly past 90 with ease up hill and that sound, heaven for a young lad.
Not old enough to have experienced the old Rover V8s. The Omega V6 that the plod used to use was certainly no slouch either though, my friend had a tuned ex police one in the late 00s/early 10s,in white, with a set of roof bars. Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
rossub said:
No chance of that happening now. Plod would give up in case your dad lost it through the cones and into the nearest tree.
Maybe they wouldn't encourage you to do 120mph+ these days, but they have an eye for whether you're driving at speed with awareness for what's around you. I've been speeding on the motorways plenty of times (normally 85/90 mph), but have been left alone by them when they've been around.
texaxile said:
Another reason to post this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTN5X4JZFjU
Never fails to get a smile from me. Was it an SD1 or Vitesse?.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTN5X4JZFjU
Never fails to get a smile from me. Was it an SD1 or Vitesse?.
Awesome, I could watch that over and over. And someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that plod used Vitesse's with the Vitesse badge removed and replaced with another Rover badge so it said Rover on both sides on the rear panel.
Front bottom said:
rossub said:
No chance of that happening now. Plod would give up in case your dad lost it through the cones and into the nearest tree.
Maybe they wouldn't encourage you to do 120mph+ these days, but they have an eye for whether you're driving at speed with awareness for what's around you. I've been speeding on the motorways plenty of times (normally 85/90 mph), but have been left alone by them when they've been around.Front bottom said:
rossub said:
No chance of that happening now. Plod would give up in case your dad lost it through the cones and into the nearest tree.
Maybe they wouldn't encourage you to do 120mph+ these days, but they have an eye for whether you're driving at speed with awareness for what's around you. I've been speeding on the motorways plenty of times (normally 85/90 mph), but have been left alone by them when they've been around.caelite said:
Not old enough to have experienced the old Rover V8s. The Omega V6 that the plod used to use was certainly no slouch either though, my friend had a tuned ex police one in the late 00s/early 10s,in white, with a set of roof bars.
Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
Don't forget, the Omega was German. Made 120mph blasts along the M8 very amusing
It is kind of sad we don't have our own pursuit vehicles anymore and opt for the German options.
Hafod said:
It is circa 1983, my late dad is driving late at night up a quiet section of motorway near in his Capri 2.0 S at a perfectly acceptable "for the time" 80mph. Naturally as lone passenger I'm unbelted and unchild-seated in the front as was the way of the day.
....
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph
I know this is just a story, but why unbelted? I started driving in 1974 and always wore a seat belt, and 1983 was the year they became mandatory.....
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph
I had a Capri 2.0S too. There's no way in world it would do 125, and driving one at 100 was terrifying!
rossub said:
No chance of that happening now. Plod would give up in case your dad lost it through the cones and into the nearest tree.
I was on the M4 in road-works some years ago and a police car barged through in what looked an almost manic way, forcing people to move into the cones to get past. Turned out there had been some sort of traffic incident involving a member of the royal family.Sheepshanks said:
Hafod said:
It is circa 1983, my late dad is driving late at night up a quiet section of motorway near in his Capri 2.0 S at a perfectly acceptable "for the time" 80mph. Naturally as lone passenger I'm unbelted and unchild-seated in the front as was the way of the day.
....
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph
I know this is just a story, but why unbelted? I started driving in 1974 and always wore a seat belt, and 1983 was the year they became mandatory.....
The penny has dropped they are chasing Speedy Gonzales who's long gone over the horizon. Our Capri sat bouncing on the rev-limiter in top at circa 125mph
I had a Capri 2.0S too. There's no way in world it would do 125, and driving one at 100 was terrifying!
rossub said:
No chance of that happening now. Plod would give up in case your dad lost it through the cones and into the nearest tree.
I was on the M4 in road-works some years ago and a police car barged through in what looked an almost manic way, forcing people to move into the cones to get past. Turned out there had been some sort of traffic incident involving a member of the royal family.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff