(Tue 18 Mar 08)

Since June 2007, GM UK Special Vehicles has been converting Vauxhalls, Saabs and Chevrolets for the emergency services. We mention this now because it has just supplied its 999th vehicle. Deduct ten points if you need someone to explain to you what the significance of that number is.

The car in question is a Vauxhall Vectra, and it has been supplied to the Chiltern Transport Consortium, which as well as overseeing the transport service for police forces in five counties (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire) is also the largest purchaser of cars supplied by GM Special Vehicles.

The Vectra will be used as a high-speed pursuit vehicle. The cornerstone of the Chiltern Consortium's police forces is another Vauxhall, the Astra 1.3 CDTi turbo diesel: according to the Consortium's Head of Transport, Ian Godolphin, "we rely on the Astra because of its high standard of reliability and the comprehensive support package offered by GM UK which means that we have peace of mind regarding the ongoing maintenance of our fleet of vehicles."

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