72 replies to this topic

[pshome]

Little i knew about UK police cars until i stumbled across this picture on the internet some time ago.
 

 
Now that is interesting, the UK police making wise choices when it comes to selecting their patrol cars?

DVLA says: Tax due: 01 July 1987, it didn't have a long life...

 

A bit more searching found this:
 

 
Obviously, this reliable, fast and comfortable means of transportation "made in France" had been selected to tackle the police challenges of the early 1980's.
 
The hunt for more information was now on, first stop, the name on the bottom of the second image.
Turned out,  James Burns is an ex police officer and a very nice chap who sent us this kind message:
 

Hi Peter / Michael
I was interested in the Police Tagora because it was very unusual at the time. The photo which you already have shows the Police demonstrator which travelled about being evaluated by different Police Forces in the UK. At one point the car was used in Glasgow for a few weeks around 1983 before going to Cumbria Police for a few weeks after that. I heard that it was then bought by Northumbria Police , ( as you know they apparently had others ). Despite my best efforts over the years I have never managed to obtain photos of the other Tagora cars at Northumbria. I was in the Police myself for 31 years and I had some friends in Northumbria Police Traffic Dept search but we never had any luck. The car wasnt very well liked but in Glasgow they had a large Chrysler factory which was bought over by Talbot making the sunbeam. That factory closed and all Talbot production moved away. That may have been a reason why Talbots were not bought.
The new Photo was taken when the same demo car went to Cumbria Police for trial. It was taken by a friend  Andy Hunton who was with Cumbria. I realise though Andy doesnt have any further information  about the car except it left them and went to Northumbria. If I get any more info or luck with photos I will let you know

Best Wishes from Scotland

Jim Burns

 

A search through old newspaper archives found this in a 1983 Autocar issue.

 

 

May 1983? That was about the time the Tagora went out of production.

 

The Talbot factory archives revealed this:

 

 

100 cars / year to be produced with police specs, V6 engine, grey plastic seats.

The images indeed show metric steel TRX made just for that purpose, wonder if any remain.

To be commericalised "as soon as possible".

 

I thought, this is the full story until a few days ago another image was found.

 

 

A second police Tagora, with two very sceptical proud officers.

Now the hunt for more details to the story is on again.

 

Who can help?

 

This car has a seal on the door, which police force this is?

What does the registration starting with HWU stand for. Wikipedia says isle of Wight?

 

Anything else the combined autoshite wisdom can add to the story?

 

Thanks!

 

Peter & Michael

[Felly Magic]

HWU at that era was Leeds, so that is West Yorkshire Police, markings are their traffic division, so very possibly plodded up and down the M62/M1

[Vin]

Fascinating. 'WU' is West Riding of Yorkshire...   KV in the top two pics is Coventry, so that makes sense, what with it being a demonstrator...

 

Edit, Felly beat me to it...

[Asimo]

Nothing Tagora but:

 

I recall in 1977 the Traffic police in Worcestershire having fully dressed Renault 30 and a Vauxhall (Ventora or VX4/90) on trial as potential traffic cars.

They were both laughed at by the cops who drove them: that force had P6 Rovers, Range Rovers and BMW 2.5 / 3.0 at the time. 

 

I have been trying to find a picture of this R30 for years, without success.

[Faker]

That's awesome

[406V6]

I passed through Glasgow several times in 1982 and 1984 (no visits in 1983) and recall spotting a police Tagora on one occasion. No pics though.

[overrun]

I live in the area under the control of Northumbria Police, and I was 1 year old at the time of that article.

Strangely I do not remember Tagora 'Jam sandwiches' though.

[Heritage motor centre]

Great detective work! I think the logo is of South Yorkshire police ( white rose) which matches the -WU leeds reg of the car.

[Felly Magic]

Logo is West Yorks, the news article also confirms this. WY did have a history of unusual cars, including Sherpa cabriolets (MGB's) and Dolly Sprints. Their early Sierras were buttery biscuit base spec, but with Cologne V6 engines

[warren t claim]

To be brutally honest, the Tagora fits the early 80s police car role well insofar as it was quick, roomy and couldn't be given away at the time. I'm pretty sure the only downside would of been the RWD police the plod had at the time.

 

IIRC Vauxhall virtually gave the police Senators because they were such slow sellers. Talbot would of probably been even more keen to find a home for their UK Tagora quota.

[C1am]

 

To Scotland. 

[bigstraight6]

I never knew that our UK defenders of law and order actually tried/used Talbot Tagora's, a crime in itself!....

(Only joking chaps, really interesting stuff this..)

[AngusToledo]

Excellent research, and great that you managed to find info from a former occifer. There must be more photos out there...

[gordonbennet]

That pic of the officers standing by the Tagora is nostalgiac, they look like normal coppers used to look and a decent grin on their faces not a hi viz stab prof kit or weapon in site...not the grim faced paramilitary current look, i miss the 70's/80's

[overrun]

Excellent research, and great that you managed to find info from a former occifer. There must be more photos out there...

 

Wonder if that jimspolisssd1 fella on the blue could shed any light.

He is a former plod, no?

[Junkman]

Holy shit!

Am I glad they didn't catch on.

Those could effectively potentially even intercept a Rover P6 V8!

[pshome]

Holy shit!

Am I glad they didn't catch on.

Those could effectively easily intercept a Rover P6 V8!

FTFY

[IainL]

Excellent stuff, v interesting. Great research by the OP too, more please!

[brownnova]

I'd be much more interested in watching police interceptors if they had Tagoras rather than Imprezas/3-series....

[ChinaTom]

I remember that Tagora police article - about 7 years ago I mentioned this on this forum somewhere, but could not find anything about it on the Web. Thanks for proving I didn't dream it up!

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk

[Twiggy]

That`s fascinating ! Thank you.

[brickwall]

I had a toy one. It said Strathclyde Police on it.

[Nibblet]

Ideal pursuit/arrest car I'd have thought. Big boot for lots of paperwork/doughnuts, in V6 form quick enough to catch a mk1 Granada.
Lots of hard edges to rip into cardboard boxes and smack offenders heads on as they are bummed over bonnet/chucked into back seat.

[dieselnutjob]

The Tagora was a fair bit more powerful than the Renault 30/Peugeot 604 due to it's triple carbs.

 

I wonder what they didn't like about it?

[IainL]

I'd love it if there was ever an old episode of 'Police Interceptors' with some on-board footage of a Tagora in pursuit. Imagine the induction roar from those 3 double-barrel Webers BWAAAUUUUHHHHHHGGHHH!!!

[IainL]

Like this:

[DaveAspley]

That ^^ is pure porn for the ears.

[mercrocker]

Nothing Tagora but:

 

I recall in 1977 the Traffic police in Worcestershire having fully dressed Renault 30 and a Vauxhall (Ventora or VX4/90) on trial as potential traffic cars.

They were both laughed at by the cops who drove them: that force had P6 Rovers, Range Rovers and BMW 2.5 / 3.0 at the time. 

 

I have been trying to find a picture of this R30 for years, without success.

 

Sorry for thread derailment (and especially apologetic for shit pic - already a poor repro in the book not helped by camera shiteness) 

 

This was evaluated by Hampshire Police -

 

 

 

On a more Talbot-ish note, I cannot find any evidence but am certain I remember Southampton Docks Transport Police using a white Solara at some point.   

[mph1977]

Logo is West Yorks, the news article also confirms this. WY did have a history of unusual cars, including Sherpa cabriolets (MGB's) and Dolly Sprints. Their early Sierras were buttery biscuit base spec, but with Cologne V6 engines

part of the thing with WY traffic cars is they  retained 'divisional traffic' for a very very long time  i.e. post millenium   so running arounf in vectras and S40/V40 t4s   vs the V70 T5s that  strategic routes and the ARVs had 

[barrett]

Blimey, I didn't know they sounded that good! I know 6s are fruity but that's got a lovely throaty roar. I should probably get one.

Great thread btw