>> Curiously I don't recollect seeing Merc police cars in the UK.
>
> I've seen a ML on the motorway and www.ukpolicecars.co.uk (Google
> rocks...)
> suggests Hertfordshire fancied a go in a C and an E.


Strathclyde have a fleet of marked Merc C280 Kompressor saloons doing
Traffic police duties, most of which (if not all) have tiptronic type
gearboxes. They also have a fleet of ML320 4X4's mainly doing motorway
patrol work, and again, I believe all are autos.

Additionally, they have a large number of marked 5er's (probably
outnumbering the Merc's by 2/1) - almost all are 530's but in both
Petrol and Diesel and both Manual and Tiptronic Automatic flavours
(although the manual cars are being phased out and are disappearing
fast).

As far as I'm aware, the 2000 year model ('W' Plate) unmarked 528i's
in use here have been replaced, one of which was definately replaced
by a Skoda Superb...and apparently the Skoda's now doing a roaring
trade, scalping speeders all across Ayrshire!

Cheers

BigBazza