GM UK Special Vehicles (SV) is seeing an increase in business as blue-light fleet managers increasingly appreciate having vehicles supplied fully equipped for duty with all additional equipment covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.

This turn-key arrangement has just been adopted by West Yorkshire police to acquire 27 new Astra beat cars.

The cars were bought outright directly from GM UK SV and then kitted out at its workshops at Millbrook, Bedfordshire with Battenberg livery, a siren, GM-designed LED lightbar and wiring and aerial for radio equipment.

The force's own workshop was left to fit the radio, number plates and window security film.

"Previously we've carried out all this fitting-out and finishing ourselves,” said Steve Thompson, head of transport for West Yorkshire police.

“However, pressure on our workshops, along with a decision to adopt the Battenberg striping in place of our own force livery, made the GM UK SV turn-key approach an attractive proposition."

The police carries out its own warranty-approved maintenance and repair. The Astras and manufacturer-fitted equipment are covered by a three-year warranty.

The new Astras join a fleet of some 1,200 vehicles of which 70% are Vauxhalls. The model is one of two listed within the Police National Framework for the beat car role.

The majority of the UK and Northern Ireland police forces run Vauxhalls as it is one of the few Home Office approved manufacturers.

“The main advantage of using GM UK SV is that we are an OE manufacturer/supplier of both the vehicle and the equipment, which is unusual,” said a GM spokesman.

“All emergency equipment fitted therefore goes through the same stringent tests and regulations as does the base vehicle and the fleet managers can have peace of mind that, for example, even the fitting of a single switch does not protrude into crash areas or airbag deployment zones.”

Opened two years ago, GM’s special vehicles centre has already converted over 4,000 standard production models into emergency vehicle for the police and fire services.