Autumn 1952, Paris. A police officer in a navy blue uniform hurries out of his black and white Renault 4CV , but instead of going through the door like everyone else, he slips through a notch cut into the sheet metal . Passersby stop, intrigued by this strange, magpie-like car. They don't know it yet, but they have just witnessed a small revolution: the birth of the first real French police car .

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That day marked the beginning of a 70-year epic that would transform our French roads. Because before that, as you might expect, law enforcement officers traveled by bicycle or in large, impractical coaches. But this little 4CV "Pie," as it would soon be called, would revolutionize the way we enforce order on our roads. And believe me, the story that followed is full of twists and turns, completely crazy innovations, and a few major misfires.

The origins: When Georges Clemenceau motorized France

To understand this revolution, we need to go back a little in time. Georges Clemenceau , then Minister of War—yes, the same Clemenceau everyone knows—had an idea that would change the game. It was just after the First World War, and the man had seen tons of American military vehicles pass through French soil.

And then Clemenceau said to himself: " Hey, what if we used these surpluses to equip our gendarmes? " That's exactly what he did. One car per department, one motorcycle per canton - that was the plan. I thought it was brilliant because at the time, no one really imagined the impact it would have. The gendarmes went from horses and bicycles to real automobiles all at once.

But hey, we're still a long way from cars specially designed for the police. Here, we take what we have on hand, we repaint it in blue or black, and presto, there's your patrol vehicle. It works, but it's homemade .

1952: The 4CV "Pie" revolution

And then came 1952, and everything changed . The French police decided they needed real police cars, not just repainted civilian ones. They set their sights on the Renault 4CV —you know, that little round car that was all the rage at the time.

The intervention of the Currus company

But where it gets interesting is that the police don't do things by halves. They contact the company Currus and say: " Listen, we need our officers to be able to get out of the car quickly for arrests, and also to reach out the window to signal motorists ."

And you know what Currus does? They literally cut out doors . They create these famous "slashed doors" that allow police officers to slip out in two seconds. It's genius DIY, but it's DIY nonetheless.

The result? A small black and white 4CV with perforated doors that looks just like a magpie. The nickname immediately stuck, and the "4CV Pie" became the darling of French roads.

But wait, because the story doesn't end there, and it's even going to take a completely unexpected turn...

The clash with Renault

Imagine the faces of Renault's engineers when they discovered that someone had sabotaged their beautiful 4CVs by cutting off the doors! In 1956, four years after the start of this collaboration, Renault was fed up. They contacted the Prefect of Police directly with a very clear message: " Listen, we never authorized your modifications. So, the warranty is over ."

I put myself in the shoes of the Prefect who receives this letter. He has a fleet of police cars that work really well, the citizens love these little "magpies", and now Renault tells him that they don't want to hear about this story anymore. It must have been a pretty tense moment .

The era of icons: The Traction Avant and the Juvaquatre

Meanwhile, in the 1930s and 1940s, the gendarmerie already had its own little habits. The Citroën Traction Avant had become the gendarmes' favorite car - and we understand why! This revolutionary car with its front-wheel drive offered exceptional road handling for the time.

After the war, there was a rather original collaboration between the National Gendarmerie and the Touring Club of France to launch Renault Juvaquatres on the roads. I like this era when public-private partnerships still had this artisanal and direct aspect.

But it was the Renault 4L that truly made its mark and became the absolute icon of French roads. We all saw this little blue police car at least once in our childhood, right? It was everywhere: in the countryside, on national roads, in small towns...

The gendarmerie 4L was a bit like the quiet, rural France of the 60s and 70s . A time when seeing the little blue Renault arrive meant either that there was a problem, or that the gendarme was just passing by to check on things. A human and local side that we have perhaps lost a little today.

And you know what? This little blue 4L made such an impression that even today, when we talk about police cars, this is often the image that comes to mind first.

The 70s-90s: Evolution and Modernization

The 1970s marked a turning point. No more improvisational work, and modernization was in . Flashing lights changed from orange to blue in 1971—a detail that may seem trivial, but which actually reflected a desire for European standardization.

The screen printing revolution

The second screen print abandons black to keep only white. And then there is this brilliant innovation: the mirror writing on the hood . The word "POLICE" is written upside down to be readable in the rearview mirror of motorists. Simple, effective, and it changes everything in the perception we have of police cars on the road.

I think this is the kind of detail that shows how the police's approach is evolving: we are moving from a purely functional logic to a reflection on visual communication and deterrence .

At this point in history, we're going to see something quite interesting. The Citroën Traction Avant was really well established among the gendarmes in the 1930s. I mean, this car was revolutionary: front-wheel drive, exceptional road handling for the time... No wonder it seduced the police!

After the war, it was thanks to a collaboration between the National Gendarmerie and the Touring Club of France that we saw the arrival of Renault Juvaquatre on our roads. It's funny, at the time, public-private partnerships still had this direct and artisanal aspect.

But hey, it's really the legendary blue 4L of the gendarmerie that will mark an entire era. This little car that crisscrossed our countryside for years, we've all come across it at least once, right?

The Renault Estafette and later the Trafic would also become emblematic of utility vehicles. These larger vehicles were used to transport equipment, prisoners, etc. Police logistics were beginning to become more professional .

Bernard Miniatures product placement

Speaking of these legendary cars, it reminds me exactly why I love miniature cars. Because holding a small 1/43 scale police 4CV in your hands is a bit like reliving that entire era all at once. Or a gendarmerie Traction Avant... We're touching on History with a capital H.

That's why I opened my shop BernardMiniatures.fr . I have more than 1500 miniatures in stock, mostly 1/43 scale, specializing in vintage cars from 1950 to 1999. Well, I'm not a big site, so I often only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also what makes it charming.

I have Renaults of course, Citroëns, police and gendarmerie vehicles, civilian cars from the period... A bit of everything. Delivery is free from 75€ in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little cars break easily.

Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have some police models that are really worth a look.

Now, let's talk about what's really going to revolutionize law enforcement...

The arrival of high performance: The Mégane RS revolution

2011. The Renault Mégane III RS enters the gendarmerie. And there, we change completely dimension. Gone are the days of nice little cars that did 90 km/h on good days. We're now talking about a 290 horsepower beast capable of reaching 270 km/h .

The motorway context

Why this need for speed? Well, French motorways have become a playground for some reckless drivers, and the old police vehicles were no longer up to the task. We needed cars capable of rapid intervention on the motorway , of catching the most determined escapees.

The Mégane RS is exactly that: a true sports car in a police uniform. The Subarus that previously fitted it were gradually phased out - apparently, maintenance was expensive, which is understandable with these high-performance Japanese cars.

An incredible anecdote

And here's an anecdote that will make you smile. There's a Mégane RS police car on display in a museum that has nearly 400,000 kilometers on the odometer after 10 years of service in the Rapid Intervention Brigade. 400,000 kilometers! To give you an idea, that's 20 times around France.

And the best part of the story is that she has a small scar on her left front fender . How did she get it? A criminal who kneed her while being pressed against the car during an arrest. This small mark is a bit like the medal of honor of this Mégane who lived 10 years on the ground.

Imagine: 400,000 kilometers of pursuits, interventions, patrols... This car has seen a whole decade of French road safety pass by. It's living automotive history .

2020 and beyond: Brand diversification

But times are changing again. Since 2020, the Seat Leon Cupra has taken over from the Mégane RS. Only 17 vehicles are currently in service with the police - it's not many, but it shows that French manufacturers are no longer the only ones in the market.

European opening

Besides, it's quite a symbol. French manufacturers remain in the majority, but the fleet is tending to diversify with the arrival of Volkswagen and Skoda . We're a long way from the time when there were only Renaults and Citroëns in the gendarmerie yards.

In 2017, another innovation: vehicles intended to operate on public roads are equipped with fluorescent red and yellow retroreflective chevrons . Once again, we see this constant evolution towards greater visibility and safety.

Anecdotes that mark History

The American failure of 1959

But I saved the best for last. In 1959, someone had the idea of exporting the concept of the 4CV police to the United States . Two small "magpies" were sent to New York because the local police were looking for a nimble car capable of weaving through heavy American traffic.

San Francisco even asks to see them! We can already imagine these little French Renaults patrolling the streets of Manhattan or California. Except that no contract will ever be signed . The Americans ultimately preferred their imposing traditional patrol cars.

I wonder what would have happened if it had worked. Would we have seen "magpie" 4CVs in American crime movies of the 60s? Would Steve McQueen have done his chase in Bullitt in a little French Renault? History might have been changed!

The legacy of the great prefects

This modernization also has its unsung heroes. Delessert, police prefect from 1836 to 1848 , had already increased the number of municipal guards to 3,000 men, provided the police with the first police vans and issued the first traffic regulations in 1837.

Louis Lépine, Paris police prefect around 1900 , also made his mark on the history of police modernization. These men understood very early on that the police had to evolve with the times and anticipate the needs of tomorrow.

Conclusion: 70 years of evolution

From the little 4CV "Pie" of 1952 to the Seat Leon Cupra of 2020, we have witnessed 70 years of technological and design evolution . What began as a tinkering project—cutting doors to make it easier for police officers to get out—has become an exact science combining performance, safety, and visual communication.

Each era has had its iconic cars: the 4CV "Pie" of the 50s, the Traction Avant of the 30s and 40s, the legendary blue 4L of the gendarmes, then the ultra-high-performance Mégane RS of the 2000s and 2010s. Each tells a part of French history .

These cars are much more than just metal and engines. They represent the evolution of our relationship with authority, road safety, and modernity. The little 4CV that slipped through Paris in 1952 already carried within it the entire French automotive revolution .

And today, when I see a police Mégane RS on the motorway, I can't help but think of that first 4CV "Pie" and its police officer getting out through the slashed door. Between the two, there are 70 years of history, innovations and small revolutions that have shaped our roads.

Ultimately, these police cars are a bit like a mirror of France moving forward. They tell us about our history, our evolutions, our dreams of modernity. And that's exactly the kind of story I love to tell you.