The NYPD began using horse-drawn police wagons in the later part of the 19th Century to move police forces from place to place. Motorized wagons came into use later, and it wasn't until the 1920s and 30s that the department began regularly using motorized patrol cars. Plymouth two-door radio cars were the standard in the late 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, the Plymouth Fury was the mainstay. Black-and-white photos courtesy of the New York City Police Museum.
Historic NYPD Patrol Cars
The NYPD used Ford Model Ts for its police cars in the 1910s. This photo shows a car at headquarters in 1911.
This photo from 1938 shows a Plymouth two-door radio car with a white nose, green hood, and white roof.
11th Precinct patrol wagon, 1880.
61st Precinct patrol wagon in Brooklyn, 1901.
The NYPD's Emergency Service Unit (ESU) was formed in 1920 to provide specialized support and advanced equipment to other NYPD units. This 1928 photo shows an ESU truck.
The major squad cars of the 1980s were Chrysler's St. Regis/Gran Fury. This photo is from 1986.
The 1990s Chevrolet Caprice was a full-size V-8 patrol car that still stirs cops' souls. This photo is from 1997.
Police car, 1923.
The NYPD adopted the Plymouth Fury as its 1970s patrol unit. This photo shows a fleet lot in 1971.
During the Second World War, NYPD officers drove two-door Plymouth radio cars without roof lights. This photo is from 1946.
In the 1950s, the NYPD used Ford RMPs (Radio Motor Patrol). This photo shows one at Coney Island in 1956. Note the passenger-side only spotlight.
Motorized patrol wagon, 1910.