The Ford Motor Co.'s March announcement that it will introduce a new patrol car has been met with a high level of interest from officers who have been driving the Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor since the 1990s. Ford has been producing vehicles for law enforcement for almost 100 years. Here's a look at photos and ads through the years that feature the company's vehicles, beginning with a Model T police truck produced in 1919.
Ford Patrol: Through the Years
Ford was a pioneer of marketing its patrol cars to law enforcement. In 1950, the company offered its first police package car. In this advertisement, the company trumpeted an order from NYPD of 450 cars and gave blurb quotes from chiefs about the vehicle's high points.
The Mustang Police Interceptor's added power over predecessors made it popular with the California Highway Patrol. The agency used the motto, "Safey and Service," at the time.
Ford's Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) has become the dominant patrol car in the U.S. and Canada by 1999. The vehicle is based on the "Panther" platform that was first introduced for the 1979 model year and progressively updated ever since.
The 1971 Ford police brochure showed the two versions of the four-door police interceptor, including the "Custom 500" version.
The 1966 brochure of police and emergency vehicles featured a sketch of the Ford Police Interceptor "Galaxie 500," a four-door sedan.
In 1919, Ford produced a Model T police truck (known by its slang term 'Paddy' wagon) that police departments used to transport inebriated revelers to a holding cell. The company had produced a similar field ambulance during World War I that was also a Model T.
In 1982, Ford introduced the Mustang Police Interceptor, a coupe that brought back a 5.0-liter, V-8 engine that generated 157hp. This ad alludes to the popularity of the vehicle with the California Highway Patrol, which immediately purchased 400.
Ford's first compact patrol car was the Ford Fairmount. The Fairmont was based on the so-called Ford "Fox" platform that would later yield such cars as the Mustang (1979-1993), LTD (1983-1986) and Thunderbird (1980-1988). Two engine choices were offered for police package Fairmonts in 1978. The first was a 200 cubic-inch inline six that offered only 85hp. Second choice was a 302 cubic-inch V8 at 138hp.
This 1963 brochure that went to police fleet purchasers featured the Ford Galaxie Police Interceptor, a two-door, midsize patrol car with a 330hp, V-8 engine.