Police Cars Extravaganza - Part 1: The Fierce Dutch Porsches

Starting today and for the next few weeks, Roarington takes you around the world to discover the most extravagant and unusual police cars that have patrolled highways in an era before speed cameras and surveillance existed.

In this first episode, we find ourselves in the Netherlands in the early 1960s, when speed limits had not yet been introduced on highways. The Rijkspolitie realized the need for a high-performance vehicle to ensure a rapid response to emergency calls and to catch reckless drivers engaging in dangerous maneuvers. For an unusual reason, these vehicles had to be open-top so that an officer could, if necessary, stand up and direct traffic without exiting the vehicle. Thus, in 1962, the Porsche 356 Cabriolet entered service for the first time.

The Porsche 356 of the Dutch "Rijkspolitie" debuted in service in 1962.

The first models featured a white livery with the word "Rijkspolitie" written on the front and rear, with the flashing light mounted on the windshield pillar. One might wonder how they managed to close the roof! Simple — the officers were required to drive en plein air, equipped like their motorcycle colleagues with a suit, helmet, and protective goggles. Imagine the shock in the eyes of reckless drivers when they saw these officers in their rearview mirrors.

The Dutch police officers' attire was very similar to that of their motorcycle colleagues, including a helmet, suit, and protective goggles.

The Porsche 356 remained in service until 1967, when the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer introduced the Targa version of the 911, which perfectly met the Rijkspolitie's needs. With this model, a new livery was introduced, featuring the color orange — representing the national color of the Netherlands, inherited from the House of Orange-Nassau, which dates back to King William of Orange in the 1500s.

With the arrival of the Targa version of the 911, the “Rijkspolitie” added the new Porsche model to its fleet in 1974.

From that day on, the Targa model became the Rijkspolitie's preferred choice until 1996, evolving through different 911 series, including the G-Series, 964, and 993. By the mid-1990s, high maintenance costs and the introduction of stricter speed limits — along with remote monitoring via cameras - marked the end of Porsche's presence in the Dutch police force.

The Porsche 911 Targa models evolved through different series, from the G-Series to the 993, serving until 1996.

A total of 507 Porsche cars served in the police fleet, including models like the 914 and 924. To honor this valuable part of Dutch automotive history, a team of collectors — supported by the Porsche Classic Center Gelderland and Porsche Netherlands — organized a gathering in 2017 of surviving Rijkspolitie Porsche vehicles. To celebrate the occasion, they even wrapped a 918 Spyder in a matching livery. As they say: passion knows no limits!

In 2017, a team of collectors, in collaboration with Porsche Netherlands, organized a gathering where even a 918 Spyder was dressed in the Rijkspolitie livery.