As my host Geoff, my girl and I were leaving a Toronto eatery one day we decided to take a cab to see friends who lived on the edge of the city, as I stepped into the street I saw a yellow cab on the far side of the street. I turned to Geoff and pointed at the object of what I thought was our desire and suggested, “Looks like the cab company is one step ahead of us”.
Geoff rolled his eye’s saying “You can always tell a tourist in Toronto”, “How is that ?” I asked, “always ready to jump into the first cab with disco lights, take another look at the cab” he instructed.
Sure enough the cab really did have disco lights and the cab company was called Metro Police. I turned back to Geoff and asked “I guess the ‘To serve’ part of the ‘To Serve and Protect’ strap line does not include taking us to where we are headed then ?”, to which Geoff replied “we could try and verify that, but it’s probably best for Limey’s not to mess with armed law enforcement officers.”
Turns out that from the 1960’s to 1986 Toronto Metro Police patrol cars were all painted yellow after which they were painted white the red and blue accents.
The car seen here in 1988 is a rear wheel drive Plymouth Caravelle Salon, a Canadian market only model name for the more familiar US market third generation Plymouth Gran Fury manufactured from 1982 to 1989.
Not to be confused with either the similar looking first generation ’81 – ’89 Lincoln Town Car or the front wheel drive ’83 – ’88 E-body Plymouth Caravelle.
Thanks for joining me on this “Yellow Cab With Disco Lights” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari tomorrow. Don’t for get to come back now !
Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !
In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.
If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.
It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.
You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.
More on Brighton Speed Trials on this link.
Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.
