Why is crown victoria the police car

We just got rid of them in But seven years is incredibly old for a cop car. Out in a desert county, such as Inyo or Riverside, a unit can rack up several hundred miles a day because of the long distances. But has spent its life in North Sacramento, mostly patrolling surface streets, and the mileage has accumulated slowly. Beyond all the cops who drove them and all the people who designed and built them at Ford, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor has been a part of all our lives.

For decades it meant the law was nearby. We memorized its distinctive headlight pattern so we could spot one coming up behind us on a highway. Seeing one on a dark street could be comforting, and the desperate moments spent riding in the back of one with your hands cuffed were usually memorable. Shorthand for civil disorder in this country is an overturned Crown Vic on fire. Many television shows and movies put their make-believe cops in real Crown Victorias. We get out and stand around the car.

Unit may have a couple more years in it, but it will eventually reach its end, between , and , miles, and, like all CHP cars, be decommissioned. Most used-up police cars are auctioned off, purchased by cab companies, and run until their body mounts turn to dust and their spent husks are fed to a metal shredder.

This one deserves better. New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Ford Crown Victoria Police. History Talk 0. Parts have become harder to find and the vehicles are showing their age. The Vermont state police took their last Crown Vic out of active service in November Despite driving the cars for decades, Cpl.

Magnant says he and other officers are not feeling nostalgic. You pull into where the snow banks had been piled up from the plows and really, literally almost taking your life into your own hands trying to get out of those U-turns, not being able to see over the tops of them really, just due to height limitations of the vehicle itself. Mangant says. Magnant says that makes for safer winter driving, more room for gear and equipment, and even an easier time transporting people in the back of the vehicle.

That last feature is a tool Cpl. Magnant says is critical during a Vermont winter. But where are we at, exactly? It was kind of a crapshoot. The State Police Fleet Services preserved one model for posterity, marking both the car's first year in service for VSP and the 50th anniversary of the state police. Crown Vics have seen use not only as police vehicles but also as government car service vehicles, private cars and even taking over from the Checker Marathon as the iconic New York yellow taxi cab.

Of course, the island of Manhattan is not the only urban center to use Vics as taxis, but the yellow NYC taxi colors are its second most famous livery after black, white, and "To Serve and Protect. The Crown Vic's service has come to an end now, and it can finally ease into a well-deserved retirement.

It can kick back in its favorite easy chair and tell its descendants all of its crazy stories from decades of front-line work, either in real-life situations or being wantonly destroyed in big-budget Hollywood productions. Yes, the aging Vic has at long last earned itself some rest But what made the Crown Victoria such an effective police car? Why did it win over so many police departments across the continent to become the default law enforcement vehicle for decades?

What makes it one of the best used cars available on the market? Let's find out. The Crown Victoria was one of a handful of vehicles built on Ford's Panther platform. This was a full-size, body-on-frame platform not too dissimilar to a truck frame, and as such the Vic was a hefty beast.

It's not the biggest Panther car, that honor goes to the long-wheelbase "Executive L" Town Car, but it still measured inches in length and weighed just over 4, pounds, not including police equipment. Its size was actually quite useful for police service though. Externally, the car has an undeniable presence, ensuring that officers entering into dangerous situations were visible and their presence was known.