Continuing a longstanding tradition that stretches back for more than half a century, the new Alfa Romeo 159 has become the latest "gazzelle" to be used by the Carabinieri and the "pantere" of the Polizia Italiana. These are the nicknames by which the cars used by these two judicial branches of the Italian police force are known. The Carabinieri's vehicles are immediately recognisable by their traditional dark blue body colour, white roof and red side flashes, while the Polizia Italiana are identified by their pale blue colour scheme, which always comes complete with full-length white stripes.

Both forces have a long-standing tradition of choosing powerful Alfa Romeo vehicles as they battle Italian crime. The Polizia Italiana were actually the first branch to employ Alfa Romeos - in the early 1950s - choosing to use the 100bhp Alfa 1900 Ti as their "pantere" in the pursuit of criminal suspects, while the unusual AR 51 "Matta" jeep was used widely in the countryside, and by the 'Marine Police' division. The 1900 Ti soon gave was to the 92bhp 1600cc Giulietta Ti in 1955, while during the 1960s a much wider array of Alfa Romeo models' were called into service, including the 2600 Sprint - which had bodywork adapted by coachbuilder Bertone - and the 'Romeo II' van. Through the 1970s and up to the arrival of the new Alfa 159, the Alfetta, New Giulietta, Alfasud, Alfa 33, Alfa 90, Alfa 75 and the 156 in both sedan and Sportwagon guise, have all been called up into the ranks of the 'pantere'. The Carabinieri meanwhile first chose the Giulietta Ti in the 1950s to assist in their fight against gangsters and organised crime. The Alfetta, Alfasud, Alfa 90, Alfa 33 and Alfa 75 have all seen service with a judicial division that always requires tough, powerful and reliable cars.

Now these police forces are taking delivery of the new Alfa 159 sedan fitted with the powerful new 200bhp 2.4-litre 20v JTDM turbodiesel engine which features mechanical upgrades, and is coupled up to Alfa's 6-speed manual gearbox. The changes guarantee that the police will be well placed to chase criminals effectively when the occasion - as it so often does - arises. The new police cars are being prepared for the Carabinieri and the Polizia Italiana by Alfa Romeo at their huge factory at Pomigliano d'Arco
 

The Naples plant builds the Alfa 159 sedan and 159 Sportwagon models, thus ensuring that the cars have full compatibility with the model range, and share their inbred characteristics. As such they benefit from the rich equipment list that the Alfa 159 boasts, including ABS, EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution,) dual-zone climate control, five airbags and VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control.)

The similarities though stop at that point, as the "Night Blue" cars of the Carabinieri and the "Celestial Blue" cars of the Polizia Italiana are each finished to widely differing individual requirements. While both are armoured and feature new bullet-proof door and screen glass, the Polizia Italiana's examples feature a fully-sealed new bulkhead, made from polycarbonate and steel, that divides the front and rear compartments, safely protecting the crew of the "pantere" when they are transporting dangerous suspects. The rear compartment doors have had their inner door handles and catches removed and can only be locked and unlocked via an electronic control unit which is located in the front compartment.

The roof area of the cars are equipped with a multifunction bar which is mounted with emergency lights, a powerful, remotely-advustable beacon, and a LED screen mounted aerodynamically into the car's body that allows the crew to signal instructions to motorists. The cars are fitted with communication and navigation equipment, first aid kits, as well as other useful devices including an automatic registration plate reader. The boot has been stripped out and fitted with a hard-wearing new membrane which allows the cars to carry bulky items such as traffic cones and fire extinguishers.