Greek police had an answer to street racing...

[HoTWire]

I've bought a couple of threads of illegal street racing recently, whilst I don't condone it there is a certain interest there, particularly if it is a bit more retro in nature and we have some distance of time to view it through.

Back in the 1990s Greece was having the same issue everyone else was having with a growing street racing scene. Their solution? "Sigma" a road traffic force of anti street racing cars, made up of cars seized from criminals and street racers. This is the coolest line up of cop cars ever I think.

























I wonder if they argued over who got what car?

Apparently it was disbanded in 2000 as it had a few too many wrecked cars ...

[neilsdavies]

Imagine going out for a quiet little race with some friends and those guys turn up. I wonder if you got to keep your car if you won?

I like the street racing story of Der Kleiner Panzers VW club turning up to the local muscle car club meet one night. The president of the muscle car guys asked the president of DKP if any of the VWs would be up for a race. "Sure", says the DKP chap. "Pick whichever one you want." Needless to say, none of the muscle car guys were willing to lose to a VW...

[stealthstylz]

They do similar over here but usually for drug dealers/gang crime rather than street racers. Quite a few undercover Golf R's/Audi S3s etc round here.

[mrbounce]

May 19, 2020 20:02:33 GMT stealthstylz said:

They do similar over here but usually for drug dealers/gang crime rather than street racers. Quite a few undercover Golf R's/Audi S3s etc round here.

Audi S8 is another favourite. 

Never knew about the Greece story though. The internet just keeps on giving!! 

[OGDB]

What an awesome post. It’s funny really because your post contains the only era of car that really grabbed my attention. Perhaps it was being a young and when I started showing an interest in cars was in the late 90s. This thread consists of a dream garage in my eyes.

Is that a Lancia Thelma up there? I’m not too clued up on them. When I was at college on a motorsport engineering course one of the tutors had a Lancia Thelma, sword it was the best thing in the world. “Rodger The Bodger” as he was affectionately known. Whenever o see anything saloon shaped with a Lancia badge on i think of that guy. So thanks for the pleasant reminder. It could however be a totally different model.

[OGDB]

May 19, 2020 20:02:33 GMT stealthstylz said:

They do similar over here but usually for drug dealers/gang crime rather than street racers. Quite a few undercover Golf R's/Audi S3s etc round here.

I’m not sure if they still do it, but in Kent and I think Essex they used to seize vehicles obtained through ill gotten gains and utilised them as police vehicles. I just tried to find some info on it to link in here but couldn’t seem to find anything. So that could be a myth.

In my area there is a new unmarked ST estate among other things. I remember many years ago when we used to travel over to Essex they’d have a police marked Evo parked up on the A13 near the M25 end. Problem is I think the delinquents saw it as more of a challenge than a deterrent.

[duggers]

The police over here wouldn't use seized cars as they don't own them, they belong to the Home Office essentially under the Proceeds of crime act. They would be auctioned off and some of the money gets used from the sale for charity related to crime such as women's refuges or community projects the rest would go to the Home Office . The same as speed camera money all goes to the Home Office.
Some forces will have high performance vehicles which are bought from the manufacturers but for uniform based work that seems to be mostly a Northern thing. For non-uniform such as CTSFO or surveillance they occasionally get hotter versions of cars but rarely the likes of RS3 Golf R etc as these are too obvious for covert work.
Now travellers they very much like RS3 and Golf R etc as they are keyless so easily stolen and you can fit your team in them for 'work'.

[nukelaars]

May 19, 2020 18:04:02 GMT neilsdavies said:

Imagine going out for a quiet little race with some friends and those guys turn up. I wonder if you got to keep your car if you won?

I like the street racing story of Der Kleiner Panzers VW club turning up to the local muscle car club meet one night. The president of the muscle car guys asked the president of DKP if any of the VWs would be up for a race. "Sure", says the DKP chap. "Pick whichever one you want." Needless to say, none of the muscle car guys were willing to lose to a VW...

Do you have to run a certain 1/4 mile to become a member of DKP, much like BWA members?

[biturbo228]

May 20, 2020 9:37:37 GMT OGDB said:

What an awesome post. It’s funny really because your post contains the only era of car that really grabbed my attention. Perhaps it was being a young and when I started showing an interest in cars was in the late 90s. This thread consists of a dream garage in my eyes.

Is that a Lancia Thelma up there? I’m not too clued up on them. When I was at college on a motorsport engineering course one of the tutors had a Lancia Thelma, sword it was the best thing in the world. “Rodger The Bodger” as he was affectionately known. Whenever o see anything saloon shaped with a Lancia badge on i think of that guy. So thanks for the pleasant reminder. It could however be a totally different model.

Yeah that's a Thema. Could be had with the 2.0l 8v or 16v turbo from the Delta Integrale (but FWD only I believe). Same platform as the Alfa 164 too. Bet it would shift pretty well with a bit more boost...

[OGDB]

May 20, 2020 12:55:37 GMT biturbo228 said:

May 20, 2020 9:37:37 GMT OGDB said:

What an awesome post. It’s funny really because your post contains the only era of car that really grabbed my attention. Perhaps it was being a young and when I started showing an interest in cars was in the late 90s. This thread consists of a dream garage in my eyes.

Is that a Lancia Thelma up there? I’m not too clued up on them. When I was at college on a motorsport engineering course one of the tutors had a Lancia Thelma, sword it was the best thing in the world. “Rodger The Bodger” as he was affectionately known. Whenever o see anything saloon shaped with a Lancia badge on i think of that guy. So thanks for the pleasant reminder. It could however be a totally different model.

Yeah that's a Thema. Could be had with the 2.0l 8v or 16v turbo from the Delta Integrale (but FWD only I believe). Same platform as the Alfa 164 too. Bet it would shift pretty well with a bit more boost...

Ah excellent. Thanks for clarifying. I am almost sure he had a turbo model, we used to cook up some concoction in a shed (at the time it was red top novas) and his Thema would well and truly show it up.

Only one I’ve ever seen in the metal.

[duncanmartin]

May 20, 2020 12:59:10 GMT OGDB said:

May 20, 2020 12:55:37 GMT biturbo228 said:

Yeah that's a Thema. Could be had with the 2.0l 8v or 16v turbo from the Delta Integrale (but FWD only I believe). Same platform as the Alfa 164 too. Bet it would shift pretty well with a bit more boost...

Ah excellent. Thanks for clarifying. I am almost sure he had a turbo model, we used to cook up some concoction in a shed (at the time it was red top novas) and his Thema would well and truly show it up.

Only one I’ve ever seen in the metal.

Yeah, they were FWD only. They shared the type 4 platform with the Alfa 164, FIAT Croma and Saab 9000.
As well as the 1.8 and 2.0 NA versions, there were 2.0 Turbo versions and the truly special 8:32 with an engine derived from the Mondial. You don't see many of them around for sale these days, but there are a couple of 8:32s on eBay now at around 20k. I understand the 16v turbo was basically as fast as the 8:32 because the Ferrari engine was pretty heavy, but obviously they aren't as special, and there aren't many left any more.

[neilsdavies]

May 20, 2020 12:36:01 GMT nukelaars said:

May 19, 2020 18:04:02 GMT neilsdavies said:

Imagine going out for a quiet little race with some friends and those guys turn up. I wonder if you got to keep your car if you won?

I like the street racing story of Der Kleiner Panzers VW club turning up to the local muscle car club meet one night. The president of the muscle car guys asked the president of DKP if any of the VWs would be up for a race. "Sure", says the DKP chap. "Pick whichever one you want." Needless to say, none of the muscle car guys were willing to lose to a VW...

Do you have to run a certain 1/4 mile to become a member of DKP, much like BWA members?

No, but the car does need to be pretty special for you to become a member. The story above related to DKP2, from the late 1970s. DKP3 is the current version - they've got their club constitution on their website. 
Outlaw Flat Four over here has a time limit - when I was a member you had to run 12.99 or quicker before you applied for membership, although I think for a time it dropped to 11.99 or quicker. I let my membership lapse a few years ago. 

[neilsdavies]

When I lived in Chester in the late 90s there were rumours of the police having an Impreza and a Mitsubishi Evo with full Barry Boy stick on tat to sucker in unsuspecting wannabe street racers.

I also heard that Walsall police had a couple of hot hatches, complete with body kits and silly wheels to do much the same with.

[neilsdavies]

And another 1970s hot VW story!
Gary Berg, son of Gene, one of the pioneers of air-cooled VW performance had a well known blue 67 with a rather serious nitrous motor in the back. It even had water misters under the rear arches to allow for immediate smoky burnouts.
Anyway, one night Gary and a group of other races were parked up organising races when one of the more friendly coppers turned up to disperse them. "You all need to move on, AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN, maybe even in pairs?" or words to that effect, with a bit of a nod and a wink.
Gary and Gene jump in the 67 and fire it up, then launch off away from the race spot, the engine hitting 7000+rpm when changing into second, third, fourth, and... fifth? Yes, Gene had designed and made a 5-speed conversion for the Beetle gearbox, and not told a soul!

[nukelaars]

May 21, 2020 12:11:38 GMT neilsdavies said:

May 20, 2020 12:36:01 GMT nukelaars said:

Do you have to run a certain 1/4 mile to become a member of DKP, much like BWA members?

No, but the car does need to be pretty special for you to become a member. The story above related to DKP2, from the late 1970s. DKP3 is the current version - they've got their club constitution on their website. 
Outlaw Flat Four over here has a time limit - when I was a member you had to run 12.99 or quicker before you applied for membership, although I think for a time it dropped to 11.99 or quicker. I let my membership lapse a few years ago. 

What were/are you running to be in the 12s?

[neilsdavies]

May 21, 2020 15:58:11 GMT nukelaars said:

May 21, 2020 12:11:38 GMT neilsdavies said:

No, but the car does need to be pretty special for you to become a member. The story above related to DKP2, from the late 1970s. DKP3 is the current version - they've got their club constitution on their website. 
Outlaw Flat Four over here has a time limit - when I was a member you had to run 12.99 or quicker before you applied for membership, although I think for a time it dropped to 11.99 or quicker. I let my membership lapse a few years ago. 

What were/are you running to be in the 12s?

I had a roof chopped 66 beetle with a 2276 with IDAs, full race car, not a street car. I sold it in December 2005, and helped to form Outlaw Flat Four in January 2006. Bad timing or what!
Theres a picture on the first page of the thread in the link below. 

forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207643/1971-beetle-cal-school-project

[qwerty]

Anyone else remember the TV Police show in the 90's I think it was based in either Manchester or with Merseyside Police. They had unmarked Cavalier GSI's

May 20, 2020 11:51:09 GMT duggers said:

The police over here wouldn't use seized cars as they don't own them, they belong to the Home Office essentially under the Proceeds of crime act. They would be auctioned off and some of the money gets used from the sale for charity related to crime such as women's refuges or community projects the rest would go to the Home Office . The same as speed camera money all goes to the Home Office.
Some forces will have high performance vehicles which are bought from the manufacturers but for uniform based work that seems to be mostly a Northern thing. For non-uniform such as CTSFO or surveillance they occasionally get hotter versions of cars but rarely the likes of RS3 Golf R etc as these are too obvious for covert work.
Now travellers they very much like RS3 and Golf R etc as they are keyless so easily stolen and you can fit your team in them for 'work'.

Not neccessarily. They can be seized as evidence to a crime and then application can be made to the court for the vehicle to be awarded to the prosecuting force. We did it in my previous job all the time. Then we could dispose of or use the vehicle in anyway we saw fit.

Tom

[Paul Y]

I can confirm that Essex police did indeed run an Evo and an STI for fast pursuit work.

I can also confirm that that

<<<<<<<<

Did the Evo from the lights.

P.

[nukelaars]

May 21, 2020 16:56:03 GMT neilsdavies said:

May 21, 2020 15:58:11 GMT nukelaars said:

What were/are you running to be in the 12s?

I had a roof chopped 66 beetle with a 2276 with IDAs, full race car, not a street car. I sold it in December 2005, and helped to form Outlaw Flat Four in January 2006. Bad timing or what!
Theres a picture on the first page of the thread in the link below. 

forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207643/1971-beetle-cal-school-project

very nice bot of kit. I think I remember it from Volksworld, particularly the Big Boys Toys graphic.

[fulvia1436]

May 20, 2020 9:37:37 GMT OGDB said:

What an awesome post. It’s funny really because your post contains the only era of car that really grabbed my attention. Perhaps it was being a young and when I started showing an interest in cars was in the late 90s. This thread consists of a dream garage in my eyes.

Is that a Lancia Thelma up there? I’m not too clued up on them. When I was at college on a motorsport engineering course one of the tutors had a Lancia Thelma, sword it was the best thing in the world. “Rodger The Bodger” as he was affectionately known. Whenever o see anything saloon shaped with a Lancia badge on i think of that guy. So thanks for the pleasant reminder. It could however be a totally different model.

Looks like a 16v Thema Turbo. Basically a 16v Integrale engine,and VERY capable!