Most Iconic American Police Cars

The Ford Model T, which put America on the road in the early 20th century, was snapped up by police departments for the same reason Americans bought the car — its affordability. The vehicle was equipped with a four-cylinder engine, and its speed topped out at about 45 mph.

The Ford Model B was introduced in 1932, and police departments, whose budgets were constrained because of the Great Depression, purchased the inexpensive vehicle with its revolutionary flathead V8 engine for their fleets.

Ford first used the name “Interceptor” on a 1951 model with flathead v8 engine. The name has been used on Ford police models for more than 70 years.

The police edition of the Chevy Bel-Air was a common sight on streets in the mid-1950s. The Bel Air was known more for its styling and less for its practicality. It was powered by a juiced-up version of the 265ci small-block V8.

Style and power were the hallmarks of the Ford Fairlane, which police departments started using in the mid-1950s. The Fairlane was boosted by its powerful 292ci Thunderbird V8 engine, whose power eventually increased to 300 horsepower. The vehicle was among the biggest-selling cars in the 1950s.

The Coronet first came into police service in 1956, was taken out of service three years later, and returned in 1965 and served for a full decade. The 1970 model was powered by a 440ci V8, overmatching rivals on the road. The car appeared in the 1974 film “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

In the early 1960s, Chrysler produced its last official police package — vehicles outfitted specifically for police needs — in the Chrysler Enforcer, which was modeled on the Chrysler Newport. Police forces in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana were among the buyers of the car. The vehicle was used for several years by police forces before it was taken out of service.

The Polara was a favorite of police departments all across the United States starting in the 1960s, and it was produced until 1973. Its fuselage design made it one of the more appealing cars of the era. It also had zip. The 1969 Polara Pursuit, powered by a 440ci V8 engine and single four-barrel carburetor, with horsepower of 375, could reach 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, and its speed topped out at 149.6 mph. That speed would not be exceeded by a police cruiser for another 37 years.

Police departments began buying smaller vehicles in the 1970s and adopted the Ford LTD as part of that initiative.

AMC cars were chosen by police departments in the early 1970s, and the Matador was probably the most sought-after. It was used by the Los Angeles Police Department during that time. The car had a 401ci V8 that could reach 60 mph in seven seconds, and it topped out at 125 mph. The LAPD ceased orders of the Matador in 1974 because styling changes boosted body weight and hurt reliability.

The Nova 9c1 was the result of a collaboration between the engineers who built the Chevy Camaro and the Nova. It was the most popular compact police vehicle of the 1970s and has been called the “ultimate police car.” The car had a 350-cid V-8 and could reach 165 mph.

The Diplomat, which closely resembled the Plymouth Gran Fury, was produced from 1980 to 1989. Originally a compact vehicle, the Diplomat packed a 318 V-8, and some models had a 360 engine, with two or four barrel carburetors. The cars were not as powerful as previous police vehicles, but they were lighter and were durable, and they prowled the streets of New York City in the 1980s. Cost-conscious municipalities chose the two-barrel 318s over the gas-guzzling four-barrel carburetors.

In the early 1980s, design mattered less to police departments, which opted for the frills-free Plymouth Volare. The 1980 Plymouth Volare Police Pursuit Sedan had a 359.9 cui engine and could go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds

The Mustang became one of the true American car icons in the 1960s, and police departments used the pony car extensively starting in 1982. The light-bodied vehicles were used to enforce speeding laws on interstates. Special service police vehicles came equipped with a 5-liter V-8 engine, automatic transmissions, automatic trans fluid coolers, and engine oil coolers.

The Chevrolet Caprice went into police service in the 1970s as police departments were downsizing the physical size of their vehicles.

The Chevy Camaro B4C was one of the quickest cars ever used by American police departments, coming into service in the early 1990s. The car’s builders took the iconic muscle car Camaro and added the best parts of a Z28 into a lower-level Camaro. The California Highway Patrol used them for pursuit vehicles, and this vehicle and the Mustang dominated the special pursuit market that decade.

The Ford Crown Victoria has been a ubiquitous police vehicle in the United States since it was introduced 1992.

Michigan police were big fans of this muscle car, which went into service in 2006. The Charger succeeded the Coronet as the go-to car for police, who appreciated its striking good looks and intimidating headlights in the Hemi-powered vehicle that produced 340 horsepower at first and expanded to 370.

The Taurus displaced the Ford Crown Victoria as the vehicle of choice for police departments in 2012. Police forces adopted the Taurus as a patrol car, and it was called the Police Interceptor Sedan. It featured all-wheel drive, a rearview camera, and a reverse sensing system.