Armoured cars

Driving in the danger zone

We check out three unassuming cars that really are bullet-proof

Auto Express Car Reviews

In the firing line: These family models appear pricey, but they hide a heavily armoured secret

Text: Mat Watson / Photos: John Colley

07th January 2008

Daylight armed robbery – that’s what it seems like. Nearly three grand for a well used 1998 Vauxhall Vectra, a dented Ford Mondeo for £3,250 or an old Vauxhall Omega at £3,450? Surely not! But the price is right on these cars – in fact, they’re a bit of a bargain.

While these three motors may look like the kind of thing you’d find on some trader’s lot for around £500, under the skin they are rather special. They’ve come from the Police Service of Northern Ireland – formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) – hence the registration plates. And they’re fitted with two tonnes of armour that can stop a high-velocity bullet in its tracks.

They have now reached the end of their service in Britain. But rather than being scrapped, the hard-as-nails machines will be put to good use in trouble spots around the world, where they will be sold to security firms to provide transport for oil company staff, construction workers and the like.

It’s the job of Witham Specialist Vehicles (WSV), based in Colsterworth, Lincs, to sell the cars on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Boss Paul Southerington said: “They are ideal for security work in the Middle East. If you are in a dangerous country, the last thing you’d want is to be picked up from the airport in an new armoured Range Rover – you’d stick out like a sore thumb.

“These cars, with their well used looks and dented exteriors, blend in with other vehicles in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and don’t attract unwanted attention.”

And when you consider a new armoured car can cost more than £100,000, these ex-Government vehicles provide top-rate protection for a fraction of the price.

Designed specifically for the RUC to cope with terrorist attacks, each has steel plates and Kevlar panels welded into the doors and the front and rear bulkheads to prevent small arms’ fire entering the cabin. Bullet-proof glass, which is more than 1cm thick, is also installed behind all glazed areas.

From the outside, the cars look normal, until you open a door – which, due to the added steel plates, are on the heavy side – and climb inside. The tough security glass means you can’t wind the windows down. Thankfully, all the vehicles come with air-con fitted.

In the centre of the dash, the standard stereo has been ditched in favour of a special police radio unit. This includes a siren and PA system, which allows you to address crowds outside the vehicle via the external speaker system.

We had a go in an armoured 2.0-litre 16v Vauxhall Vectra. Under the skin it has beefed-up brakes and suspension to cope with the extra bulk of all that protection. But even though the car weighs around three tonnes, the engine is standard. Extra revs are required to avoid stalling when pulling away, while acceleration is more sluggish than in a normal Vectra. As you’d expect, the handling is pretty heavy, too.

WSV has sold around 80 of these armoured cars during the past few months. Paul said: “Most get shipped out, but some have been flown to Iraq where they were providing protection the very next day.”

There are about 50 others – mainly Vectras, Omegas and Mondeos, some of which are in full police livery, complete with roof sirens – still available in its yard, with more likely to follow. But before you place an order, there is a hitch: Government regulations mean they can’t be sold to anyone in the European Union, and each potential buyer is checked by the MoD.

Strangely, the public can still purchase the normal military vehicles which WSV also sells, such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Paul explained: “People are always calling up wanting an armoured car. They can’t quite believe that they can buy a Sabre tank, but not one of the toughened Vectras, Mondeos or Omegas.” But why would you want one anyway? They’re heavy to drive, and the extra weight means they won’t be the most economical cars to run. “With some it’s curiosity, although other people have claimed they’ve had a dispute with a neighbour and fear there could be violence,” Paul continued. “But rules are rules.”

And it’s a good job these vehicles don’t end up on the UK’s roads, as their increased weight could prove to be very dangerous in untrained hands. More importantly, though, they could become lost in the second-hand car market and ultimately be used for the very thing they are designed to guard against: terrorism.