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How Police Cars Work

The History of Police Cars

­Police forces began using motorized vehicles sporadically as far back as the final years of the 19th century, but at the time, these were little more than wagons that carried police from place to place. Police forces used motorcycles on a regular basis long before they used cars, as cars were more expensive. Increased reliance on police cars was driven primarily by increased use of cars by criminals.

In the 1920s and '30s, police departments used police cars to save money. With a car and a radio, one officer could cover a much larger territory. During this period, cars were purchased retail and then modified by the police department. Modifications were limited -- rudimentary markings and a variety of lights were the only things that set most early police cars apart from regular cars. It wasn't until after World War II that U.S. auto companies began offering "police packages." They simply took the special options most often ordered by police departments and combined them into a special option package. Ford Motor Company debuted its police package in 1950; Chevrolet in 1955 and Dodge in 1956 [source: Sanow].

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Over the decades, police cars have gradually evolved. More pieces of specialized equipment were added. Light bars were streamlined. Old cars went out of style, while new designs became popular. Here are just some of the key police cars through history:

  • The Chrysler Enforcer from the early 1960s
  • The Chevrolet Biscayne of the 1960s
  • The Mercury Monterey of the late 1960s and early '70s
  • The Ford LTD of the 1970s
  • The Ford Torino of the early 1970s
  • The 1975 Chevrolet Nova
  • The Chevy Impala of the late 1970s to mid-'80s
  • The Plymouth Gran Fury from the 1980s
  • The Chevrolet Caprice from the late 1980s to mid-1990s
  • The Ford Crown Victoria of the 1980s to the present

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Sources

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  • Hiltunen, Nick. "Suspect kicks out windows of police car." Goldsboro News-Argus. Feb. 17, 2008. (March 24, 2009) http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2008/02/17/suspect_kicks_out_windows_of_police_car
  • Jones, Amy. "Hoover unveils Porsche as new police vehicle." Shelby County Reporter. Feb. 20, 2009. (March 24, 2009) http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2009/feb/20/hoover-unveils-porsche-police-vehicle/
  • Kerr, Ian. "Police Cars." Chartwell Books.1998.
  • ­McCord, Monty. "Cars of the State Police and Highway Patrol." Krause Publication. 1994.
  • ­Sanow, Edwin J. "Chevrolet Police Cars." Krause Publications. 1997.
  • Sanow, Edwin J. "Ford Police Cars." Motorbooks International. 1997.
  • ­Shapiro, Larry. "Special Police Vehicles." MBI Publishing. 1999.
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