The Vehicles of the French Gendarmerie Nationale

Heir to more than two centuries of history, the Gendarmerie Nationale is present not only on French territory but also on overseas theatres of operation. Although attached since 2009 to the Ministry of the Interior, this elite force, numbering around one hundred thousand personnel, retains its military status.

The Gendarmerie Nationale is brought to light through this book edited by Pascal Meunier and his co-author Laurent Jacquot, focusing in particular on the vehicles they use — indispensable on more than one count for carrying out their missions effectively.

This informative and instructive work turns the spotlight on this elite force, which has for decades watched over the safety of the public at large. Drawing on a wide range of documentation and photographs gathered together, the reader is able to discover all the vehicles used by this prestigious corps, which, it should be recalled, has been attached to the Ministry of the Interior since 2009.
Trucks, cars, armoured vehicles, motorcycles, and even boats — every means of transport is carefully examined throughout this richly illustrated book.

There is no doubt that the Gendarmerie Nationale, whose primary responsibility includes traffic control on the roads, has been able to adapt perfectly to the changes that have occurred in each era, equipping itself with vehicles renowned for their performance in order to fulfil its role as effectively as possible.

The history of the Gendarmerie Nationale is inextricably linked to that of France's motorway network: the force first used the famous Matra Djet — specifically in the 1960s — a high-performance car with the distinction of having competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
From that point on, the Gendarmerie Nationale needed a vehicle suited to motorway surveillance, which led it to adopt the Alpine A110, renowned for its impressive speed and capable of reaching up to 215 km/h.

Called upon to combat crime — in particular drug traffickers who use high-powered vehicles to carry out their offences — the Gendarmerie Nationale is obliged to equip itself with a fleet of vehicles capable of countering their criminal schemes.

As the book illustrates, a further step was taken in 2006 when the force equipped itself with around sixty Subaru Impreza WRX units, suited to any intervention on the motorways, given that this Japanese vehicle can reach 250 km/h in just 5.8 seconds.
Yet another change came in 2010, when the Gendarmerie Nationale adopted a French vehicle — the Renault Mégane III RS — every bit as impressive as its Japanese predecessor.

In short, the book traces the full range of vehicles that have contributed to the Gendarmerie Nationale's renown, not only at the local level but also beyond its borders, highlighting the major changes that have taken place over these two centuries of history.