In this PolicingTV visit to the Metropolitan Police Museum vehicle collection in Sidcup, John Harcombe takes us through some of the Met’s most fascinating historic police cars and motorcycles, spanning from 1948 to the mid-1990s. From the Austin 1100 and Morris Minor to Special Branch Rovers and early traffic enforcement vehicles, the collection shows just how much police transport and technology have changed over the decades.
The tour also includes a Rover P6 used for Special Branch duties and linked with Margaret Thatcher, an SD1 associated with the famous “Liver Run”, early in-car video systems using VHS, historic police motorcycles and the bike that led Princess Diana’s funeral procession. The video closes with the collection’s oldest car, a 1948 Wolseley, complete with roof loudspeakers, a bell and a hand-held police stop sign.
Key takeaways
- The Metropolitan Police historic vehicle collection includes vehicles dating from 1948 to 1996.
- Early patrol cars had no blue lights, sirens, power steering or modern braking assistance.
- A 1973 Rover P6 Special Branch car was linked with Margaret Thatcher and royal duties.
- Its radio system could switch between AM and FM to communicate across the country.
- Rover SD1 traffic cars were used in the famous high-speed “Liver Run” into central London.
- Early police video systems relied on large cameras and VHS recorders mounted in the vehicle.
- One motorcycle in the collection led Princess Diana’s funeral procession in 1997.
- The oldest vehicle is a 1948 Wolseley with roof loudspeakers, a bell and a hand-held police stop sign.
Chapters
00:43 – Inside the Metropolitan Police vehicle collection
01:08 – The Austin 1100 patrol car
02:20 – The Morris Minor police car
03:27 – The Special Branch Rover P6
04:43 – The rare 1973 police radio
05:30 – The Rover SD1 and the Liver Run
06:54 – The Rover 827 traffic car
08:50 – The motorcycle from Princess Diana’s funeral
10:45 – The Met’s oldest police car
11:49 – Why the collection still matters
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