In addition to the Peugeot 5008 cars purchased in 2021, the French Gendarmerie Nationale has 395 Peugeot 3008 HYBRID vehicles with 165 kW (fuel consumption weighted in liters per 100 kilometers traveled, combined: 1.5 – 1.4 1; CO 2 emissions in grams per kilometer traveled: 34 – 31. Electricity consumption weighted in kWh per 100 kilometers traveled, combined: 16.1 – 15.5 1 kWh/100 kilometers traveled. Following on from the long history of Peugeot and the Gendarmerie that began after the Second World War, this is the next stage.
When World War II ended, the Gendarmerie Nationale rebuilt its fleet by taking cars from the resistance or utilizing what was remained of the army's fleet. This occurred during the end of the 1940s, during the upheaval of the postwar period. The early versions of the Peugeot 202, Peugeot 302, and Peugeot 402 belonged to the Brigades, and they were only produced in small quantities and were mainly painted in dark colors. The gendarmerie blue that we are familiar with today was only adopted as the regular hue in 1969/1970.
SUVs came first, followed by station wagons.
Towards the end of the 1950s, the Gendarmerie Nationale began to organize their equipment purchases and procure cars on a big scale. This marked the start of a lengthy association with Peugeot, particularly with the brand's station wagons.
The Peugeot 203 station wagon was the first vehicle to be used by the Gendarmerie, particularly in France's newly formed traffic police brigades experiencing a period of rapid growth. After that, every decade, the Gendarmerie brought new Peugeot station wagons of the lion brand, including the 403, 404, 204, 304, 305, 504, 505, and 306 models. Then came a new generation of cars, each with an even more practical and spacious interior and excellent road-holding performance. Finally, the Peugeot Expert, the precursor of the Peugeot 5008 and, later, the Peugeot 3008 HYBRID, was selected by the Gendarmerie.
Limousines for police officers
There are many additional models in the history of Peugeot and the Gendarmerie Nationale, starting with the popular Peugeot 205 and Peugeot 206 models, many of which were used to outfit the brigades and progress the Peugeot 306, which was primarily used by the highway police. And let us not forget about the Peugeot 203, Peugeot 403, Peugeot 305, and Peugeot 505 limousines, which served as service cars for the cops and were not painted in police blue but instead in black or grey.
To ensure the region's security in all its variety - inner cities, highways, mountains, rural roads - and all its components - in France and in the overseas territories - the Gendarmerie had to adapt their fleet to the new environment. She wanted models who were unique and, at times, odd.
The Peugeot 405 T16 with 147 kW (200 hp) and the Peugeot 306 S16 with 122 kW (167 hp) of the Brigades Rapides intervention, deployed on the French highways in the 1980s and 1990s, are remembered fondly by motorists of that era.
Many people are also familiar with the Garde Républicaine's Peugeot 203, Peugeot 403, Peugeot 404, Peugeot 504, and Peugeot 505 station wagons in charge of ensuring the safety of the Tour de France participants. In the 1990s, a dozen Peugeot 806 minivans were deployed to accompany nuclear convoys, a role that was less well known but no less critical.
Since its inception, the Gendarmerie Nationale has maintained a collection of off-road vehicles capable of intervening on any terrain, including the most severe. In the 1980s, the Gendarmerie took a lesson from the French army and purchased a Peugeot P4, primarily for mobile gendarmerie squadrons and other mobile units. In addition, Dangel's Peugeot 504 and Peugeot 505 4X4 station wagons, which were used in the foreign departments, allowed the gendarmes to travel over rocky terrain without difficulty. Finally, in 2004, certain extremely rare Peugeot 206s with four-wheel drive, which the FAM had modified, were sent to specific brigades.
Gendarmerie Nationale's men and women and their animals have been transported in Peugeot models from the early 1940s. First, the Peugeot J7 and later Peugeot Expert vehicles, fitted with van bodies, were used to carry the Republican Guard horses. Next, the Peugeot 203, followed by the Peugeot 504 Kombi, and finally, the Peugeot Partner, Peugeot Boxer, and Peugeot Bipper were all options for the canine brigades to choose from. Compared to a standard station wagon, these versions were more practical for their needs.
They would have been blown away by the performance of the Peugeot 3008 HYBRID if they were driving their Peugeot 203 station wagon, which had 30 kW (42 horsepower) and could travel up to a top speed of 120 km/h in the 1950s.
More information on the tight relations between Peugeot and the Gendarmerie Nationale may be found in the book "Les voitures de la Gendarmerie Nationale" by Pascal Meunier and Laurent Jacquot, which was published by ETAI and is available for purchase.
