New Vauxhall Plant Focuses on Blue-Light Specials

U.K. motorists can be expected to see an arresting sight on the streets of Luton as Vauxhall opens its police-car factory, the largest of its kind in Europe.

The plant at Vauxhall’s factory in Luton, 35 miles (56 km) north of London, converts 2,500 cars and vans a year for use by U.K. police, fire and ambulance services.

Vauxhall is the leading supplier to U.K. police fleets with a 70% share of the market segment. Everything is done in-house, from testing to converting and even remarketing of decommissioned vehicles.

The facility created 50 jobs after Vauxhall moved production in-house from its previous location in Millbrook, Bedfordshire.

Suppliers around the U.K. also benefit with 90% of blue-light content, the materials used to convert a standard car in to a police car, sourced locally.

An array of Vauxhalls will be converted for use by the emergency services, with cars including the Corsa, Astra, Insignia and Mokka, and commercial vehicles including the Combo, Movano and Luton-built Vivaro vans.

Policing has changed dramatically in recent years with new types of crimes and the increased threat of terrorism. With technology including 4G Wi-Fi and rugged Toughbook tablets, Vauxhall Special Vehicles Manager Dick Ellam says the General Motors U.K. subsidiary can offer the emergency services everything they need.

“We can deliver a wide choice of car and van models, specifically designed and rigorously tested to meet the stringent demands of our emergency services,” Ellam says in a statement. “We can also supply turnkey vehicle solutions that enable rapid turnaround of replacement vehicles.”