History of Garda Cars

renegadegav

According to wikipedia Currently the Garda are using the following vehicles

• Fiat Ulysse,
• Opel Vectra, astra
• Toyota Avensis , corolla & landcruiser
• Ford Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo , transit , galaxy
• Saab 9-3,
• Volvo XC70,
• BMW 5 Series
• Isuzu Trooper,
• Subaru Forester
• Fiat Ducato,
• Mercedes Sprinter & 814D
• Nissan Terrano
  

I would like to know what vehicles they used in the past. like the Renault 4, Land rover Defender,

SuperMario

Dont forget the good old ford granada and then there was also the handful of cosworths that were around for a very short time. I know its not that old but the opel omega was another one.

James3555

http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/ireland/garda1.htm

Heres my favourite

pingu2008

pingu2008

James3555

Loving the sierras and ascona:cool:

ivabiggon

ah those were the days,!! when they could have any shade of blue/navy garda cars, even the marked cars were covert because you never expected to see a green garda car with garda markings but you did? i remember hiking around Enniskerry and seeing a reno 4 just up from the 44 buss stop on the hill to powerscourt it was green with one light on top with the garda sign stuck to the doors, great cover for speed traps

http://www.anglia-models.co.uk/photosheart/heartbeat04.jpg

did the gaurds ever have anglias like the british?

Overature

most garda cars nowadays are 07 ford mondaoes, even the unmarked ones,

1922

heard a great story a few years back from west cork. the time the eurovision was in millstreet...1993 i think (open to correction)

there was a load of 2.0 ltr ford sierra saphire's sent down on account of the extra police presence required. story goes that a guy in a one man station who had a fiesta (or similar small car) got his hands on a sierra and sent back his fiesta instead. he actually got away with it for a few months before it was realised

SuperMario

Overature wrote: »

most garda cars nowadays are 07 ford mondaoes, even the unmarked ones,

No their not, theres far more cars than just mondeos around. Iv never heard of or drivin a mondaoe, must be the mexican version!!!! Only joking with ya.

trad

I drove the Isuzu Trooper, the Renault tow truck, the sierra and the opel record all photographed (tango units), had that Range Rover or a sister of it during heavy snowfalls for a few days, ah the memories. The Montego and it's little brother the Maestro were the greatest heaps available at the time. Average life was 50,000 miles for the maestro and 60.000 miles for the Montego. They were replaced by Carinas and Corolla's, drove one with 160k on it in perfect nick, huge mileage back in the late 80's.

Any photo's of Garda motorcycles? I'll have to go rooting and scanning.

In my opinion

Ford Escort and the Avenger (Hillman, Chrysler and then Talbot) are the first patrol cars I remember. My father was skipper i/c in a border 4 & 26 station which is now a 1&1 I believe.

I remember a red patrol car in Bridgend or Burnfoot in the late 70's. The traffic cars were all white vauxhalls I think then.

Task force (set up after Morley / Byrne murders in Loughglynn ) had massive (in comparision to other cars) unmarked Granadas around 81/82.

First patrol car my father drove was a Zepher 6 or 7. He had some great stories about it such as a 107mph car chase following a stabbing in Donegal and judge Larkin lost his rag with the defendant for having made the guards drive so fast to catch the merc he the defendant was driving.

Another time taking all markings off the car and loading it up with all it's bits and pieces, tyres etc tied to roof and driving from Letterkenny to the Depot to change the car and a strange car behind him most of the way through the North only to have the RUC stop him at a border crossing and explain that they were trying to catch him for quite a few miles. He knew someone was after him but he was "breaking for the border" where a checkpoint would prove a safe place to stop. Late 60's.

wayne2107

I seen a silver unmarked volvo today with ampr cameras.

wayne2107

wayne2107 wrote: »

I seen a silver unmarked volvo today with ampr cameras.

Thats a traffic car. And thats all I'll say.

scudster

Ive seen an unmarked Skoda Octavia around longford. The boys in blue must be tryin to blend in even more!

POGAN

alfas Romeos (didnt go far) only messing have one myself
Saab

ivabiggon

has anyone got info on the first garda car or fleet of cars, maybe someone who has involvement with the historical society, thats if you have one.
i'm talking when the state was formed, i know the original garda cars were probably inherited from the Brits on their departure, but there had to be a car some where that the first garda symbol was put on.
i think Dublin fire brigade was the first fire service in Ireland to have the first motorized truck and ambulance, up to then it was horse n cart.

SV

foreign wrote: »

Thats a traffic car. And thats all I'll say.

T5 eh.

CharlieCroker

An Garda Siochana have never been ones for "Police Specials".
The first and only one ever used by the force was the Vauxhall Viva Special back in the 60's or early 70's.
This was the case up until 2008 when the XC70's were bought for the RSU

djtechnics1210

CharlieCroker wrote: »

An Garda Siochana have never been ones for "Police Specials".
The first and only one ever used by the force was the Vauxhall Viva Special back in the 60's or early 70's.
This was the case up until 2008 when the XC70's were bought for the RSU

there used to be a police special mondeo in the inner city many moons ago

renegadegav

Well from my own memory which doesnt stretch back too far there was a reno 4 in meath in 1990 it was cream colour with lights on top. It was replaced by a light blue sierra

renegadegav

ivabiggon wrote: »

ah those were the days,!! when they could have any shade of blue/navy garda cars, even the marked cars were covert because you never expected to see a green garda car with garda markings but you did? i remember hiking around Enniskerry and seeing a reno 4 just up from the 44 buss stop on the hill to powerscourt it was green with one light on top with the garda sign stuck to the doors, great cover for speed traps

http://www.anglia-models.co.uk/photosheart/heartbeat04.jpg

did the gaurds ever have anglias like the british?

That looks like one from the set of hearthbeat

macroman

Picked one of these up a few weeks ago - a Mallow based Hillman Avenger (funsize)

luckat

Would anyone have any idea of what the standard patrol car, and the Branch car, would have been in 1962?

Delancey

luckat wrote: »

Would anyone have any idea of what the standard patrol car, and the Branch car, would have been in 1962?

Model T Ford ?

luckat

Ah c'mon - it's for a story I'm writing!

Oh, and another question: when did Garda cars stop ringing a bell and start using a siren?

And were there separate brake lights at that stage?

CharlieCroker

luckat wrote: »

Ah c'mon - it's for a story I'm writing!

Oh, and another question: when did Garda cars stop ringing a bell and start using a siren?

And were there separate brake lights at that stage?

best thing to do is to get onto the Garda Museum in Dublin Castle

In my opinion

luckat wrote: »

Would anyone have any idea of what the standard patrol car, and the Branch car, would have been in 1962?

Zepher 6/7 were patrol cars in the 60's not sure about the unmarked car though cause as a youngster in the 70's the "DO" always drove the patrol car in this district mind you there was only an escort in the District HQ and an Avenger in the biggest of the sub districts there was also a honda 500 bike do not remember a district unmarked car till about 87 but could be wrong.

In my opinion

luckat wrote: »

Ah c'mon - it's for a story I'm writing!

Oh, and another question: when did Garda cars stop ringing a bell and start using a siren?

And were there separate brake lights at that stage?

Sirens were certainly on white vauxhall traffic cars from mid 70's but sirens were not standard on district cars until the late 80's. All cars had a single blue beacon on top of a garda sign which was illuminated and the searchlight on the roof (passenger side) that could be turned 360 degrees

luckat

I've moved the story back to the 1950s for various internal reasons - good idea on getting on to the Guards themselves, though I think I'll try their Information Office. Thanks for the help.

wayne2107

Does any one have photos of the marked Rovers from a few years ago? I remember Coolock and Raheny having a few.

pah

Traffic Corps here have 3.0 Mondeo

Nippy I'd say.

sdanseo

Saw what looked like a marked TC car the other day outside the O2 with an NYPD-style rack of revolving lights, all blue with additional LEDs in the rear window, look like a Fiat Ulysses or a ford MPV or even a vectra, only saw it at a distance. Anyone seen it?

I suppose it could have been a HSE/paramedic because I've never seen AGS use those lights, it was in a bloody hurry too and followed by an unmarked mondeo.

sdonn

sdonn wrote: »

Saw what looked like a marked TC car the other day outside the O2 with an NYPD-style rack of revolving lights, all blue with additional LEDs in the rear window, look like a Fiat Ulysses or a ford MPV or even a vectra, only saw it at a distance. Anyone seen it?

I suppose it could have been a HSE/paramedic because I've never seen AGS use those lights, it was in a bloody hurry too and followed by an unmarked mondeo.

There is a mondeo estate belonging to the HSE that has them. Also a Wicklow Nissan Vanette ambulance with them also.

Hooch

sdonn wrote: »

Saw what looked like a marked TC car the other day outside the O2 with an NYPD-style rack of revolving lights, all blue with additional LEDs in the rear window, look like a Fiat Ulysses or a ford MPV or even a vectra, only saw it at a distance. Anyone seen it?

I suppose it could have been a HSE/paramedic because I've never seen AGS use those lights, it was in a bloody hurry too and followed by an unmarked mondeo.

Two HSE NAS Renault Laguna estate response cars in Cork have them

sdanseo

Cheers lads, must have been HSE so. I have to say I love LEDs but used in conjunction with them, those revolving lights look damn cool, especially at night.

supersaint3

Has anyone seen the IPA magazine this month came with a 2010 calendar of old squads, inc the vauxhall victors and a savage looking marked vauxhall chevette saloon with red interior I've no scanner or I'd oblige

miju

ivabiggon wrote: »

has anyone got info on the first garda car or fleet of cars, maybe someone who has involvement with the historical society, thats if you have one.
i'm talking when the state was formed, i know the original garda cars were probably inherited from the Brits on their departure, but there had to be a car some where that the first garda symbol was put on.
i think Dublin fire brigade was the first fire service in Ireland to have the first motorized truck and ambulance, up to then it was horse n cart.

what do ya wanna know exactly?

goldie fish

Limerick had a Mazda 323 saloon for a while in the late 80s/early 90s. Notoriously unstable at speed. Similarly, one wonders how many Gardai were involved in RTAs with the awful Fiat Tempra? I know of at least 2 who died on seperate occasions.(RIP Lads).
Task Force in Cork in 95 had a 88 Toyota Corolla. It outran the Opel Vectras that had recently arrived, while "attending to a call" heading out the carrigrohane straight.
2.2L Camry was the TC unmarked of choice, while most paddy wagons were Toyota Hiaces. Crime drove Escort in Hatchback and Saloon, Branch drove Mk 1 Mondeos(****), and even a Mitsubishi Charisma.

I still miss the Fiesta Vans though. They did EVERYTHING!
Too wet for TC to take the motorbikes out? Fiesta Van
Country Station needs a Car? Fiesta Van
Scenes of crime? Fiesta Van
District Car Grounded till PSV man starts duty? Fiesta Van!
Collect member protecting SoC? Fiesta Van!

Fiesta Van: Your only man!

ivabiggon

miju wrote: »

what do ya wanna know exactly?

i don't EXACTLY want to know anything, the closest i've got was the picture of the black vintage with the oversized bicycle horn on the roof that was post recently

pingu2008

In my opinion

The auld Avenger that was the sub district patrol car of choice in the 70's with the escort being more of a district car. Jesus they were an awful yoke looking through the eyes of 2010.

DanFindy

Anyone know had the Gardai ever a white mk5 Cortina in Garda livery at any stage? i have a plain white one and would get decals made for it for film use etc if they ever were used?

trad

As far as I can remember we had a pair of white mk5 Cortina's in Traffic in Dublin Castle. I started there in 81 and we had mostly cortinas and a couple of 2 litre Opel Records and a green 2.8 Granada, a Renault 4 van, a 1.6 SWB petrol Transit, an escort and a few land rovers.. and loads of motorcycles, Honda CX500, Honda 750s and some BMW R800 came later.

DanFindy

trad wrote: »

As far as I can remember we had a pair of white mk5 Cortina's in Traffic in Dublin Castle. I started there in 81 and we had mostly cortinas and a couple of 2 litre Opel Records and a green 2.8 Granada, a Renault 4 van, a 1.6 SWB petrol Transit, an escort and a few land rovers.. and loads of motorcycles, Honda CX500, Honda 750s and some BMW R800 came later.

Ah i see, thats interesting, id be v gratefull if u could pull out a photo of one of the cortinas as i would like to do mine as a replica, i would use magnetic plaques for the sides and the stripes so i could remove all and leave er standard......if i got a good contract for a film i might just do it properly !!

And tell me is there any laws or anything governing doing this to a car, ive seen plenty done up in england as old police cars but few here

Hooch

DanFindy wrote: »

And tell me is there any laws or anything governing doing this to a car, ive seen plenty done up in england as old police cars but few here

The AGS logo is copyrighted.....if you marked the car up properly and left the logo out it would be ok. Then get a magnetic AGS logo done up (if the printers are brave enough to) and only put that up when on a closed set.

trad

The traffic white cortinas of that era had a sinlge 3m "reflective" stripe full length with the Garda crest and the word "Garda" on the frontdoors. Can't remember if the crest was on top or the bottom. A single light bar with two Bosch rotating beacons and a smith and wesson siren / speaker mid mounted. Some of the sirens were rear facing to "save petrol". I don't have any photo's left. Most of mine would be in an impressive montage in the Traffic Department at Dublin Castle. Covers everything from the early days, President Kennedy's visit and many other events. Haven't seen it in years so no doubt has been added to.

cjmcork

Jaysus, I watch The Bill (the show, not slang for An Garda Siochana) and see the gits have BMW's as their patrol cars..........lucky ducks!

highdef

Slightly off-topic but do you remember the sirens on the garda cars from the 80's and 90's? It was a very distinctive electronic two tone. Haven't heard it in years and actually miss it! Anyone have any youtube/video clips of one these cars in action?

I always thought the siren had a second benefit in that it was different to the regular two tones (and later on waw waws, or whatever you call them) on fire engines and ambulances. So if you were a Joe Soap sitting in heavy traffic and heard this electronic two tone, you knew to look out for a small garda car approaching, rather than an much larger ambulance or fire engine.

I know that today I can still tell the difference between the sirens of the different emergency response vehicles but I'm sure the majority of people would think they're all the same.

mle1324

cjmcork wrote: »

Jaysus, I watch The Bill (the show, not slang for An Garda Siochana) and see the gits have BMW's as their patrol cars..........lucky ducks!

And there not even the new 5 series that they use on set,the real Met use the newer ones .

Anyway seen one the old unmarked 2.2 Camerys (2000 i think) yesterday with its blues on.

Blue Punto

Portlaoise Traffic have a silver BMW 5 Series

Also On the N7 Silver S60 D5 numerous colours

Skoda Octavias and a few new model Superbs

Also saw a black land cruiser chasing an english reg motorbike just b4 christmas