The modern interpretation of a getaway car is thought to date back to France in 1911, when the notorious Bonnot Gang, also known as ‘The Auto Bandits’, fled the scene of an armed robbery in a stolen Delaunay-Belleville. It was the first of a series of robberies over the coming months.
Launched in 1959, it wasn’t long before the Jaguar Mk2 became the car of choice for criminals in a hurry. Fast, nimble, space for four or five burly guys, plus a trunk for the loot, made the Mk2 ‘Jag’ the ideal getaway vehicle. The 3.8-liter version could hit a top speed of 125mph.
In danger of being left behind, the UK’s police forces soon turned to the Mk2 to act as the cops’ cat to the robbers’ mouse. The definitive getaway car? Probably.
View Price on AmazonThe Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was the Jaguar Mk2 for a new generation. Easy to steal, space for four or five men, a trunk for stolen gear and enough pace to outrun even the fastest police car. The Rover SD1 and Vauxhall Senator 24-valve had the Cossie’s pace but not the handling.
Another favorite of the nation’s traffic cops, the Range Rover is an excellent choice if your getaway route ventures off-road or you require a little more muscle. A yellow P38a 4.6 HSE in the spirit of Layer Cake would fit the bill.
What do you require for a successful gold heist? A trio of Mini Coopers (in red, white and blue), a criminal mastermind, a traffic jam to end all traffic jams and Benny Hill. Just avoid mountain passes if you want to make it home.
“Most people thought it was just a bog-standard Cortina,” Bruce Reynolds told the BBC in 2001. The mastermind of the 1963 Great Train Robbery was being reunited with ‘BMK 723A’, the Ford Lotus Cortina used during the largest crime the country has ever seen.
Source: autocar.co.uk
