Throwback Targa Thursday

"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
03/24/2016 at 04:33 • Filed to: Police, Porsche, Targa

From a time when the Dutch police had a fleet of Highway Porsche 911 Targas, which sadly was phased out around the time I was born. A fun fact is that only married men over 30 with kids could drive them, since they had something to be responsible for, so they wouldn’t drive like crazy in these widow-makers.

DISCUSSION (12)

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
03/24/2016 at 04:43

But why did they use Targas? Seems a bit not practical.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
03/24/2016 at 04:52

They started with 356 convertibles, with the idea that one of the agents could stand up to signal the traffic, this was more effective due to the direct showing of power, more akin to that of an agent arranging the traffic. It was all about showing dominance really, because only knowing there would be no getting away from the police, made people scared enough to adhere to the limits. When the 911 targa came out they chose that for better wind protection i guess. The agents always wore long rain coats, helmets and goggles, so they wouldn’t get too wet.

AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
03/24/2016 at 04:52

The rationale was something like two policemen on a motorbike, only bigger and safer, and direct traffic “on the go”, standing up. With the 911s they could drive for kilometres on the berm backwards without the engine overheating (for instance, to reach the area of an incident when there was a hugely long traffic jam on the motorway: I understand Rotterdam had a few of those).

I think they even drove in the rain without the top on. Mr BvdV will correct me, but their very thick white jackets looked like some sort of white leather. Again, like police on motorbikes. They also wore orange “Cromwell” helmets.

I think Belgium may have used some Targas too, but they were also Coupés.

356 cabriolets were used for traffic control duties by Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Portugal. Not so sure on Belgium on that one.

It used to be a good tip to buy a second-hand 911 Targa in Belgium and the Netherlands to look for signs of having had the “blue flowerpot” mounted on the roll bar – and most importantly, listening for a noisy final drive when driving in reverse.

Funnily enough, in order to fly the SR-71 you also had to be married, don’t know if you had to have kids too (I knew about the married requirement for the Belgian and Dutch 911 units, but not about the children. So interesting!).

AuthiCooper1300 > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
03/24/2016 at 05:02

There are a couple of “Polizei” 356 cabriolets in private hands. Very interesting cars, and very valuable. They had two alternators to cope with the power needs of radio+blue light+siren etc. At the time I think no 356 came with an alternator unless it was a four-cam (Carrera) one, if I remember correctly.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
03/24/2016 at 07:13

Sounds plausible and really badass

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > AuthiCooper1300
03/24/2016 at 07:16

I know that the German police had 956, 911 and finally 924 and 944 police cars that were sadly replaced by 4 door high displacement engine sedans.

TheJWT > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
03/24/2016 at 08:18

For a second I read that as “men with over 30 kids”

That can’t be a very large population...

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > TheJWT
03/24/2016 at 08:24

Well, I could imagine you get all the chicks with the mustaches common on 70's police officers. Haha

AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
03/24/2016 at 08:32

It seems the German Targa “Polizei” cars were 91 2s . I have just read that 911s were coupés.

There is (or used to be) a very nice early 911 Targa (soft window) in the States but that was a sort of “show car” to try to convince police forces to buy Porsche. Fully equipped and functional as per police spec, but not an actual patrol car:

http://flatsixes.com/cars/porsche-p…

There was an interesting feature on Excellence on it years ago, although I don’t think it was mentioned in that article that the car had never seen any law enforcement use at all. I do remember the picture of the regulation billy club though! Probably a show of dry Swabian humour.

Here, a picture of Ferry with one of the 912 Targas:

Kinja'd!!!

There is a very famous image of the very same car, taken from above, but I cannot find it right now.

A well-known American 356 engine specialist, Harry Pellow, aka “Maestro”, wrote at length about his 356 “Polizei”, even comparing it with other similar cars he knew of. By the way, Pellow was a hilarious writer.

AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
03/24/2016 at 08:34

Sad indeed, but probably better for the poor guys going up and down the road all day. I have enormous respect for police bikers. That is dedication, particularly when the weather is bad.

AuthiCooper1300 > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
03/24/2016 at 08:45

Obviously a staged picture, but one gets the idea:

Kinja'd!!!

Looking for this image I realised there were even Porsche 914s in Rijkspolitie and German police service.

I doubt those were 914/6 though.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > AuthiCooper1300
03/24/2016 at 10:02

True. The only occasions where police bikers are seen are in escorts.