It’s been on the cards for a while but the day has come for Ford to officially retire its Crown Victoria American police vehicle after almost 30 years of active service.

The old warhorse was hugely successful as a police vehicle, at one point it represented 70 per cent of the police car market in the United States. Even this year sales have been up 64 percent this year as police departments stock up on one of their favorites before the car goes out of production. The Crown Vic is built on Ford’s Panther platform which is now more than 30 years old so it’s time to move on. Ford is hoping to replace many of the Crown Vics with its new police-spec Ford Explorer SUV and smaller Taurus Interceptors. There is stiff competition from the Commodore-based Chevy Caprice police car and also Dodge with its Charger cruiser. (more…)

Anyone who has turned on a TV in the last couple of months will have noticed the increase in the amount of police reality shows on our screens. Road Cops is one of the more memorable NZ-based shows and follows a similar theme every week of cops pulling up young guys in tricked out rides. What happens next is either breath-testing, writing out fines or giving them the dreaded pink sticker for illegal mods. It’s a bit of a laugh at the expense of other ‘car enthusiasts’, but you get the feeling that the Police just aren’t relating to the young guys as best they could.

Over in the States its a different story, where the cops may be less patient but the cop cars are cooler than ever. Want proof? Check out the video below of a beatboxing Police cruiser. That’s right, it’s a staunch Dodge Charger cop car that’s not afraid of dropping some mean beats.

Perhaps if the NZ Police had this sort of funky technology, routine road stops could run smoother. And any altercations could be sorted with a break dance battle in front of the flashing red/blue lights.

Be audibly arrested by this big beating law-keeper in the video below. (more…)

The 2011 Dodge Charger was due for a refresh but no one really expected the first official image of the reworked model to be in full Police pursuit gear.

Chrysler is out to prove it’s a contender for lucrative American Police agency car contracts with its 2011 Charger Pursuit. Ford and General Motors have already introduced their next-generation police pursuit vehicles, and while the Taurus- and Caprice/Commodore-based cruisers will be tough competition for one another, the new Charger pursuit is no softie either.

The Pursuit is based on the new-for-2011 Dodge Charger, and will be available with either Chrysler’s 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 or 5.7-litre Hemi V8. The larger engine comes equipped with a Multi-Displacement System to shut off fuel to unneeded cylinders during lighter duty, improving fuel economy when cruising the beat.

Other special treats for the Charger on Police duty include things like heavy-duty anti-lock brakes, front and rear stabiliser bars, a two-mode police-specific stability control system and 18-inch performance tyres on ugly steel wheels.

Inside, the front cabin serves as a mobile command center, and Chrysler has got busy developing a police interface module to best integrate existing computer equipment. There’s also reinforced front seats, a column shifter to open up floor and console space and interior lighting in red and white to assist the use of night-vision equipment.

It’s one mean machine and American Police forces will be able to order the 2011 Charger Pursuit from next month.

What do you get when you mix one police-spec Studebaker Commander with a 500hp Chev and eight years’ hard work? One tough Stude, of course.

When I think of a commander I think of strength (at times in the face of adversity), power, order, guts and glory, certainly not Studebakers. I had a think about it and took a good look at what’s out there being modified and came to a conclusion: Studebakers are custom cars sitting still. Some cars look menacing sitting still, some cars look ugly sitting still. But Studebakers, well, they look like they’re waiting. Waiting for an owner to bring out their true spirit, that custom car spirit; I’ll stick my neck out here and say that rodding spirit. Their owners are like Mopar fans, an eclectic bunch who probably believe that if it’s not a Studebaker, it’s just a bread baker.

Kimball Thomson is a collector, he likes Studebakers, and parked in his garage amongst other models he has a totally cool 1964 Studebaker Commander. This particular Commander started life as a police cruiser, and after an extensive eight-year body-off rebuild by the previous owner in Melbourne, it was purchased by Kimball when he spotted it at a car show. But it wasn’t a straightforward sale. “The owner originally didn’t want to sell it. I wanted this one, it said something the others I looked at didn’t have.” The sale was eventually concluded and the latest addition was imported into New Zealand in 2009 to become part of Kimball’s collection.

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