This is a Police SWAT Van that was originally used by the police department in Inglewood, California. It remains in the same configuration it was in while in service, with the firearms and ammunition removed of course.
The van is built on a 1995 GMC P3500 forward control chassis, with the SWAT conversion done by the specialists at Mattman Specialty Vehicles of Escondido, California. Inside you’ll find weapons storage, ammunition drawers, and two workstations with power outlets, a house air conditioner, and dry-erase boards.
Fast Facts – A GMC P3500 Police SWAT Van
- This Police SWAT van, originally used by the Inglewood Police Department, retains its original configuration except for removed firearms and ammunition. It is built on a 1995 GMC P3500 chassis with a SWAT conversion by Mattman Specialty Vehicles.
- Inside the van, features include weapons storage, ammunition drawers, workstations with power outlets, a household air conditioner, and dry-erase boards for tactical planning. Retractable awnings and emergency lights are also installed on the exterior.
- SWAT, which stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, was first formed in 1964 by the Philadelphia Police Department to address rising bank robberies. The concept soon spread nationwide and globally by the 1970s due to increasing criminal firepower and gang activity.
- The van is equipped with a 7.4 liter V8 paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission. It is currently being offered for sale by a dealer in California, retaining its “Inglewood Police S.W.A.T.” paint scheme.
A History Speedrun: SWAT
SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, the first SWAT team was set up in 1964 by the Philadelphia Police Department to combat a rapid increase in bank robberies. This first SWAT team was made up of 100 members, many of them military veterans, and they were deployed rapidly to intercept bank robberies in progress.
This is a former police SWAT van that was built for the Inglewood Police Department and used by them for many years. It’s now being sold in well-preserved condition with all of its original police markings still in place.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) would be the next to establish its own SWAT team in 1967. The LAPD had planned to call its unit the “Special Weapons Attack Team,” and still use the SWAT acronym, however this was overruled and they used the same definition as the earlier Philadelphia team.
By the 1970s SWAT teams had started popping up across the country, with equivalent specialist police units being adopted worldwide. The 1970s saw gangs and criminal elements in the United States adopting automatic weapons and more military-sourced firearms, this made the demand for SWAT teams even more urgent.
The War on Drugs, as well as the increasing prevalence of school shootings, terror attacks, and gang violence, have all resulted in SWAT teams being called on nationwide over 80,000 times per year.
The 1995 GMC P3500 Police SWAT Van Shown Here
The Police SWAT Van you see here is an original unit that spent years in use with the Inglewood Police Department. It’s now been retired and sold into private ownership, and it’s now being offered for sale by a dealer in Newbury Park, California.
The van was built specifically for purpose on a 1995 GMC P3500 forward control chassis by Mattman Specialty Vehicles, and it remains in as-used condition. Inside you’ll find equipment cabinets, weapons storage, ammunition drawers, and two workstations along with power outlets, a house air conditioner, and dry-erase boards mounted on the rear barn doors.
The dry-erase boards would have been used for laying out plans and tactics that would have changed from one situation to the next. The vehicle also has retractable awnings on both sides and at the rear, a Code 3 emergency light bar, perimeter lighting, a rear ladder, and power outlets throughout.
Inside you’ll find equipment cabinets, weapons storage, ammunition drawers, and two workstations along with power outlets, a house air conditioner, and dry-erase boards mounted on the rear barn doors.
The vehicle is finished in its SWAT paint scheme with “Inglewood Police S.W.A.T” on either side in blue paint. The upper sides are white and the lower sides and front are black. Power is provided by a 7.4 liter V8 paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission which sends power to the rear wheels.
The selling dealer is offering the van for sale on Bring a Trailer with an information manual and a clean California title. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.