Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Police’s new “Pantera”

• Symbolically handed over today in Turin at the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, the first Alfa Romeo Tonale due to become part of the Polizia di Stato’s fleet of vehicles.
• In attendance, Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, Chief of Police Vittorio Pisani, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato, and Managing Director of Stellantis Italia Santo Ficili.
• Eight hundred fifty Alfa Romeo Tonales with a specific configuration are destined for various Police Headquarters throughout Italy, to keep their local areas under control.
• The historic partnership is therefore renewed between Alfa Romeo and the Polizia di Stato (State Police), having begun in the 1950s with the 1900 Super TI speciale. It continued in the coming years with Alfa Romeo cars that made automotive history, such as the Giulietta 1300, Giulia super 1600, 33, 155, 159, and Giulia.

TURIN, November 29, 2023 – The new Alfa Romeo Tonale in Polizia di Stato livery has arrived on the roads of Italy. A “Pantera” (‘Panther’) with a sporty, eye-catching style, soon to be used by Police Headquarters to keep their local areas under control.
The new Volante police car was symbolically handed over today to the Polizia di Stato in Turin. The event took place at the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, where the attendees included Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, Chief of Police Vittorio Pisani, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato, and Managing Director of Stellantis Italia Santo Ficili.
Fitted with a 163-hp 1,500 cc hybrid petrol engine, 7-speed automatic transmission, ballistic and anti-shatter protection and equipped with “Mercurio Extended” technology – to speed up checks during operations, the model will be distributed to the General Prevention and Public Rescue Offices at all Police Headquarters and to the main Police Stations, starting in December.
In total, 850 cars will join the Polizia di Stato fleet in the first half of 2024, under a 2022 Consip tender for law enforcement agencies, won by Stellantis.
The partnership between the Police and Alfa Romeo is therefore renewed, having begun in the 1950s with the 1900 Super TI speciale. It continued in the ’60s and ’70s with the production of the iconic Giulietta 1300 and Giulia super 1600, all the way to the blue-and-white Alfa Romeo 33 police cars that made their way onto Italian roads in the early ’80s, which were replaced over time by the Alfa Romeo 155, 159 and Giulia.

Alfa Romeo and Polizia di Stato
Alfa Romeo has always played a fundamental role for the Police and the image of the Polizia di Stato has also been greatly influenced by their cars from Milan.
After the sporadic and mostly official use of cars before WW2, the Alfa Romeo 1900 TI was the first specially equipped car taken on by the Police.

The 1950s (1900, 1900M, Giulietta)
Although the symbol on the sides of the Flying Squad’s cars only appeared in the early ’60s, the name “Pantera” came about back in 1952 when these cars entered service. Ordered in around 400 units split between the 1900 TI (Turismo Internazionale) and 1900 TI Super, it had an engine souped up to the threshold of two liters, and a top speed close to 180 km/h. Painted black, their mechanical components were not specialized, but certain modifications had been made: heavy armoring (not included on the Stradale models) protected the engine and interior, with the latter also fitted with a bulletproof windshield in two sections. The front wheels were protected by two metal chain curtains, with the addition of fog lights and adaptable headlights. To enable the crew to shoot standing up, a sliding sunroof was also fitted. The other specific equipment included a radio system for the patrol to remain in contact with their control center.
Updated in terms of their colors and specifications, the 1900 remained in use until 1964, although certain models continued to be used as service cars.
Later, the Police would use almost all the cars produced by Alfa Romeo. In the 1950s, as well as the 1900 M “Matta” – the renowned model in the red livery of the “Celere” mobile units, many Giulietta and Giulietta TI were adopted, again as a result of their performance. At the same time, a number of Romeo and Romeo 2° vans would also come into service, later to be replaced by F12s.

The 1960s (2600 Sprint, Giulia)
In the following decade, the 2600 Sprint bore a gray-green livery: apart from the Ferrari 250 GTE, it was the most powerful and fastest car supplied to the Police.
It would be followed by the Giulia, the absolute protagonist of an era: in its versions intended for the Police, it was not only one of the most popular and recognizable cars but also gave rise to a genuine trend in cinema. Beginning in B movies, in the next few years it would become a cult – the “Poliziottesco”, featured in breathtaking chases on the streets of large Italian cities.
The first “Pantera” went into service in Turin in 1963, although some non-livery cars had already been purchased by the Ministry of the Interior in the previous few months. It became the first in a long series, later followed by the transition to the Giulia Super. Even so, some 1300, 1300 TI and 1300 Super models also went into service, as well as certain very rare TI Supers.
The main changes were made to the front, where (as on the TI Super) the two central headlights were replaced by simple grids to conceal the siren, then also the flashing light and radio antenna. In some cases, adaptable headlights were also fitted. The battery was moved into the trunk alongside the specific equipment, whereas the interior – with upholstery in brown skai_® fabrics – was fitted with a police radio.
The Giulia “in uniform” would mark the era of the Police’s modernization: control rooms equipped with electronic panels, constant radio contact, “driver” training, development of the car fleet, and maintenance workshops. In its various versions and updates, the Giulia remained in service until the early 1980s.
The Giulia Combinata with station wagon bodywork was also used by the Polizia Stradale (Traffic Police).

The 1970s (Alfetta, Alfasud, Nuova Giulietta)
The 1970s saw the entry into service of the Alfetta that, even in the popular imagination, would take up the legacy of the Giulia, which remained in the fleet even so. Alfetta models from almost all the series available were purchased, mostly with 1.8 engines. At the same time, the “New” Giulietta, unveiled in 1977, immediately found its niche in the colors of the Police. It was selected for the Flying Squad, which preferred the agility of the Giulietta to the power of the Alfetta, maintained by the Polizia Stradale for its suitability to keep local areas under control and to serve in city traffic.
In the mid-1970s, the police livery left behind gray-green, instead taking on the blue and white that can still be seen today.
Alongside the more powerful Alfetta and Giulietta, the “small” Alfasud, the first front-wheel drive Alfa Romeo and the forerunner of a family tree of compact cars, would also play a leading role for the Police. In 1972, shortly after their unveiling the previous year, the first cars entered service with the 1.2 4-cylinder boxer engine. It would, however, be the second series with 1.3 and 1.5 engines that made up most of the units.

The 1980s and 1990s (33, 75, 155)
The 1980s saw the Police fleet updated with new models: the Alfasud gave way to the 33, even in its flagship Quadrifoglio Verde versions, whereas the New Giulietta was replaced by its evolution, the Alfa 75, again enlisted with a 1.8 engine as would be the case the following decade with the 155, then with front-wheel drive. At that time, the Police also began to deploy official crews in different categories of motorsport: an Alfasud 1300 Gruppo N, the Alfa 33 and 75 in the Touring category, and even a 155 V6 TI took part in races in blue and white livery.

The 2000s (156, 159, Giulietta)
Also equipped with front-wheel drive was the 156, used by the Polizia Stradale in both sedan and Sportwagon versions, and later even with JTD diesel engines. Likewise, the 159 was also deployed with both petrol and diesel engines, as well as with Q4 all-wheel drive. In those years, the cars would once again be armored to protect the crew.
More recently, the Giulietta has been used by the Police, with either a 1.6 JTDm-2 engine or a diesel model with two liters of displacement. Conversely, the specific trim for the Police came in two variants: with rear seats as standard, or with a partition bulkhead in the interior and rear seats in washable plastic.