panda cars ...

[echokilo]

....why did we used to refer to police cars as Panda Cars? This would have been back in the 1970s or so, and I remember the police using allegros then as toan cars ..... but why the term panda cars (or was this just a Midlands thing??)

Thanks

[Stephen_G]

Just the Black (or Blue) and White colour scheme made them look like pandas. Boring answer but the obvious one.

[pug100]

Panda cars were first used in Lancashire / Merseyside in the mid sixites. Ford Anglias and Hillman Imps are listed in this article, but also Morris Minors, Minis and most other small saloon cars around at the time served as police patrol vehicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda_car

[tali1]

It relates to the infamous West Midlands Serious Crime Squad - accused were often forced into confessions in police cars by getting a beating -usually resulting in black eyes -hence the term Panda Cars