Citroën DS
Using a Citroën DS as a getaway car could save your life. In 1962, a group called the OAS plotted an assassination attempt on the then President Charles de Gaulle. As he and his wife were travelling along the Avenue de la Liberation in Paris, 12 OAS gunmen opened fire on the car.
Two of the president’s motorcycle guards were killed, the car’s rear window was shattered, and all four tyres were punctured. The chauffeur controlled a skid and managed to drive the president and his wife out of harm’s way. De Gaulle owed his life to the driver and Citroën’s legendary suspension system.
Dodge Charger
Whether it’s because of Bullitt or The Dukes of Hazzard, the Dodge Charger is known for being one of America’s greatest getaway cars. They’re big, powerful, accessible and they look great surrounded by tyre smoke.
Fancy being the cop rather than the robber? The Dodge Charger Pursuit package comprises a 3.6-litre V6 24-valve or 5.7-litre Hemi V8 engine, rear or all-wheel drive, ballistic door panels, secure park, steel safety frame construction, front and rear crumple zones and a lifetime supply of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Ford Bronco
History.com has named it “the most infamous vehicle of the 20th century. On Friday June 17 1994, a white Ford Bronco driven by Al Cowlings, led police cars through 50 miles of Orange County, while helicopters circled overhead. In the back was former NFL star and actor OJ Simpson, highly agitated; his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman has been found murdered five days before.
Around 90 million people watched the footage on television, before Simpson surrendered outside his house. The white Bronco is now on display at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Tennessee.
The V8 van!
Freight Rover added the option of a 3.5-litre V8 engine to the 300 Series at the end of 1985. It continued to be available when the van became the Leyland DAF 400 Series and, later, the LDV Convoy.