Unusual unmarked car with non-existent reg number

highdef

I turned from the south Circular Road to the Chapelizod bypass west bound earlier today. As I approached the Memorial Road traffic lights (which were red and there was a small queue in both lanes), I noticed an unmarked car coming from behind at high speed. Standard set of unmarked car blues. I let him pass as we got to the lights. He then turned them off and drove as normal and eventually turned off at Texaco Foxhunter.....where there's almost always a garda presence; fuel card reasons, I am guessing.

All of the above is quite normal however two things were a bit unusual. First, the car in question. It was an 11 year old grey souped up type Opel Vectra....two exhaust pipes and that kind of thing. When I got home, I checked the reg number on Cartell and Motorcheck. Both said that the reg number did not exist. At first I was thinking that maybe Garda cars don't show up, even though I couldn't see why that would be the case. I did a quick google image search for both marked and unmarked garda cars and checked those reg numbers. They all showed up as expected on the reg number websites.

Would there be a reason for the reg not showing up in the public realm?

highdef

highdef wrote: »

Would there be a reason for the reg not showing up in the public realm?

Probably.

POGAN

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Probably.

Guessing it was the opc

highdef

Quick Google search of the OPC variant makes me think it was that alright. It was grey in colour, if that helps the search? Obviously I won't post the reg number here but I still wonder why this Garda car does not show up on the registration database when other Garda cars, both marked and unmarked do? What makes this vehicle so special?

It has amazing acceleration though, I have to say and plenty of emergency lights....very visible.

gctest50

this is what a few of them need, 6.2 v8 so might last a bit, maybe

http://thethrottle.com/2013/04/03/with-a-0-60mph-in-4-9-the-6-2l-v8-vauxhall-vxr8-tourer-is-one-fast-wagon-23-hq-photos/

mr cowen

highdef wrote: »

I turned from the south Circular Road to the Chapelizod bypass west bound earlier today. As I approached the Memorial Road traffic lights (which were red and there was a small queue in both lanes), I noticed an unmarked car coming from behind at high speed. Standard set of unmarked car blues. I let him pass as we got to the lights. He then turned them off and drove as normal and eventually turned off at Texaco Foxhunter.....where there's almost always a garda presence; fuel card reasons, I am guessing.

All of the above is quite normal however two things were a bit unusual. First, the car in question. It was an 11 year old grey souped up type Opel Vectra....two exhaust pipes and that kind of thing. When I got home, I checked the reg number on Cartell and Motorcheck. Both said that the reg number did not exist. At first I was thinking that maybe Garda cars don't show up, even though I couldn't see why that would be the case. I did a quick google image search for both marked and unmarked garda cars and checked those reg numbers. They all showed up as expected on the reg number websites.

Would there be a reason for the reg not showing up in the public realm?

have you nothing better to be doing with your time?????

punisher5112

It is a vectra opc acquired from the north.

It is a fast car alright.

markpb

mr cowen wrote:

have you nothing better to be doing with your time?????

Curiosity isn't allowed any more?

highdef

markpb wrote: »

Curiosity isn't allowed any more?

Indeed, it's just curiosity. Unusual looking unmarked Garda car that is not on the national database gives his reason to be curious. Could easily have been a car with fans plates impersonating a garda car. It seems it wasn't so the story ends well.

Job done.

sgt.bilko

I've seen that car a few times and there's history as to the background.

I overheard the driver and it apparently seems to have a similar background as to the origin of the 05 BMW x5? that came into the hands of AGS

Bargain Blake

I know the Americans throw around the national security line a lot and the public just accept it. Why is it that Irish people cant accept that there is some stuff that we just are not supposed to know about?

Is it not possible for the Garda to have some unmarked high powered cars without Joe Public asking 1001 questions about it and having the nose out of joint when they dont get answers?

flazio

If someone was chancing their arm as imitating an unmarked Garda car, they wouldn't get away with it for long.

highdef

Bargain Blake wrote: »

I know the Americans throw around the national security line a lot and the public just accept it. Why is it that Irish people cant accept that there is some stuff that we just are not supposed to know about?

Is it not possible for the Garda to have some unmarked high powered cars without Joe Public asking 1001 questions about it and having the nose out of joint when they dont get answers?

Yes, what you say is possible and it does indeed appear to be the case thanks to those who answered the questions on this thread. I'd never heard of vehicles that are driven on public roads not being on the public database. I began the thread because:

#1: The car in question was highly unusual (and relatively old) to be an unmarked Garda car....souped up with nothing at all to suggest it was a Garda car once the blues were switched off. This aroused my suspicion that it might have been a car that was to be used for something malicious by someone involved in crime although I did accept that it might be an an actual Garda car.

#2: I checked the number plate (as the public is entitled to do) and there was no record of it....something I have never come across, not that I spend my days checking number plates all day! I thought that asking here would give me answer which it did. Up till then, I thought it was reasonable to ask because seeing a souped up fairly old car with emergency flashing lights fitted that does not show on the public database does cause some concern, would you not agree? There have been examples of people in the past pulling over members of Joe public by use of flashing emergency lights in their cars

markpb

Bargain Blake wrote:

Is it not possible for the Garda to have some unmarked high powered cars without Joe Public asking 1001 questions about it and having the nose out of joint when they dont get answers?

Who's nose was out of joint in this thread?

punisher5112

It is a garda car and another thing some may not know is they all don't have D regs either.

Specific teams use different pool cars and other vehicles.

I seen years ago a Japanese import celica used and Laguna and many others that you really wouldn't know were service vehicles.

Bargain Blake

markpb wrote: »

Who's nose was out of joint in this thread?

In general when it comes to these types of threads.

markpb

Bargain Blake wrote:

In general when it comes to these types of threads.

So, no-one in this thread was annoyed? A question was asked, people answered, everyone is half happy. The car itself wasn't identified enough to reduce its effectiveness as an undercover car.

Bargain Blake

markpb wrote: »

So, no-one in this thread was annoyed? A question was asked, people answered, everyone is half happy. The car itself wasn't identified enough to reduce its effectiveness as an undercover car.

Well aren't you just happy you could get in with your 2 cents worth there sham! :rolleyes:

highdef

Bargain Blake wrote: »

Well aren't you just happy you could get in with your 2 cents worth there sham! :rolleyes:

jesus, you're quite the moaner! Anyway, thanks markpb. Yeah, I got the questions answered and all is good in the world. I did have the sense not too post the reg number here on the public forum, in case the car was an under cover Garda car.... Which it turns out it is. Those in the know will know what car I referred too. It's pretty safe to assume the general public don't.
Thanks to the majority here who have been very helpful here.

Turner

ok... next.