Unmarked cars - how long do the police keep them for?

[cashmax]

On the way to Castle Coombe today I was stopped by an unmarked car. Twas a battered BMW 330 on a 10 plate. The wheels had been swapped for matt black ones. Didn't give it a second glance right up until it put the lights on of course.


Annoyingly, the sun came out after I got back underway, reach for my sunglasses and realised I had left them in the back of the cop car. He was doing about 80-85 and I was too scared to catch him up. Fortunately I only had to wait a few minutes before a range rover came past at warp speed. Luckily he pulled off at a junction and was stopped there. I pulled in behind and interrupted his bking to get my glasses..

A fair cop at 90. But was really thrown by the age of the car. I thought the boys in blue chucked them out long before they got this old? How long do they normally keep them?

[Greendubber]

It depends.

Currently, with current budgets....forever!!

[TooMany2cvs]

cashmax said:

But was really thrown by the age of the car. I thought the boys in blue chucked them out long before they got this old? How long do they normally keep them?

Fresh-from-Police "unmarked patrol" 330D on a 59 plate, due in stock soon.
http://www.expolicecar.co.uk/stockdetail.asp?id=45...

[Durzel]

Black 458? Weren't heading through Swindon this morning were you?

I was in Castle Combe neck of the woods today, very early though.

I too never knew they'd be using 10-plate cars, so thanks for the headsup.

[Mk3Spitfire]

We still have a marked Land Rover on an "x" plate somewhere! Plenty of 57-59 pandas knocking round too.

[jkh112]

On the M6 a few weeks ago I saw an 03 plate Honda Accord unmarked police car. It was easy to spot as it was parked on the hard shoulder with all the hidden lights flashing, there was another car stopped in front of it.

[roofer]

Got tugged by a 54 plate Mondeo in Norfolk in 2011 !

[mel]

I saw a couple of PCSO's in 04 plate Skoda beat car at the weekend, they had it parked up blocking a road for an accident and it stood out because it still has the old school strobe style blues as opposed to the LED's that everything has now days. At 11 years old it must of been a complete nail.

[eldar]

mel said:

I saw a couple of PCSO's in 04 plate Skoda beat car at the weekend, they had it parked up blocking a road for an accident and it stood out because it still has the old school strobe style blues as opposed to the LED's that everything has now days. At 11 years old it must of been a complete nail.

It it survived that long, Skoda build quality must be impressive? Do the PCSOs get assigned it as some sort of punishment?

[Ken Figenus]

TooMany2cvs said:

Fresh-from-Police "unmarked patrol" 330D on a 59 plate, due in stock soon.
http://www.expolicecar.co.uk/stockdetail.asp?id=45...

FULLY TINTED WINDOWS

Must have been a pimp deep deep deep undercover!

[HantsRat]

We have loads of old cars. If they are still fit for purpose then why get rid of them plus they blend in better. Think our oldest unmarked is a 57 plate.

[scarble]

Earlier this year I had a little flash of blues and the "slow down" gesture from a frickin Vectra, they stopped making them in 2009? It might even have been a Vectra B, 2002?
At the time I was just glad he didn't stop me, but I can't help but wonder if it was a Walt.

[KingNothing]

Seen a 59 plate Audi pull someone up here a few days ago.

[gnc]

the car repair workshop i bought 7 years ago, the previous owner had a contract to supply unmarked cars, some realy old, 95 citreon etc, for stakeout work

[Toptrumps2]

I dont know how long for unmarked but i know that there is a 03/05 plate Focus saloon panda car @ Norfolks caister on sea police station.

[pork911]

Greendubber said:

It depends.

Currently, with current budgets....forever!!

apparently so
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/448726/Undercover...

[Iang84]

Southwark station still runs a 52 plate mondeo can often be seen between elephant and castle and peckham

[Triumph Man]

I read back along that a couple of coppers were doing a roadshow somewhere with a Rover SD1 traffic car (one of the liver run cars IIRC), a call came in on the radio, and they responded in the SD1!

[Ken Figenus]

I had a bronze transit van undercover wave the finger at me once for ticking over in top on a quiet, dry dual carrigeway - wouldnt mind too much but he must have done a ton to catch up with me since he joined much later from the roundabout and all on his skinny tyres and van dynamics! He then raced ahead and did the same to others who were also driving safely slightly above the limit. Anything goes these days!!!

[mybrainhurts]

(Probably) about five years ago, there was an X reg Honda Accord Type R prowling around Leicestershire, sometimes driven by an idiot, who nearly took out several cars, including me, pulling a Lexus on the M1.

Seems he and the car were well known on here and the car was traced back to other police forces.