The all-new 2025 Ford Expedition SSV (Special Service Vehicle) just debuted last week, adding yet another option for law enforcement to choose from. However, the history of Ford police vehicles stretches back much further than some might expect – in fact, it was 1915 when Oakland police in California switched their entire light-duty fleet to Blue Oval models. It wasn’t until 1950 when the first Ford police package vehicle debuted, however, though the popularity of such models has only expanded by leaps and bounds over the past three-quarters of a century.
The very first Ford police package offered law enforcement customers a bevy of features designed specifically to make them more suitable for duty purposes, as well as a trio of engine options with different outputs. It quickly became a popular choice across the U.S., with the New York Police Department going so far as to place an order for a whopping 430 units – the largest ever for any law enforcement agency at the time.
In 1952, Ford used the “Interceptor” name for its more potent 125 horsepower V8 option, but two years later, that same moniker was applied to an actual police vehicle for the first time. By 1961, a Blue Oval survey found that 58 percent of law enforcement vehicles across the 50 largest U.S. cities were Fords – a rapid expansion, indeed, and things only escalated when the ever-popular Ford Mustang was added to its list of available models in 1982. The police-focused pony car touted excellent performance thanks to its 5.0L V8, enabling the Mustang to accelerate from 0-50 mph in 6.3 seconds, a fact highlighted by a FoMoCo ad proclaiming that “This Ford Chases Porsches for a living.”
Just a year later, in 1983, the redesigned LTD Crown Victoria with the police package debuted with the optional high-output 5.8L V8, and it quickly became the preferred cruiser of choice for law enforcement agencies across North America. By 1988, the Crown Vic police package accounted for a commanding 85 percent of police pursuit sales in the U.S. and Canada, in fact. In 1992, the Crown Victoria became its own model – only serving to further fuel that growth.
The Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was retired in 2012, giving way to the next-generation of Police Interceptor models – the Taurus-based Police Interceptor and Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility – each touting advanced safety systems and the only law enforcement vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive at the time. Since then, the Ford police lineup has expanded greatly, and currently consists of the aforementioned Expedition SSV, Police Interceptor Utility, Ford F-150 Police Responder, Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV, and Ford Transit Prisoner Transport Vehicle – a group that’s every bit as popular with law enforcement as it’s ever been.
Comments
I remember reading in C and D at the time the Mustang was introduced into the CHiPs rolling stock. The writer was on a ride along and they were going down the freeway, saw a speeder, stopped, jumped the median and took off in pursuit in the other direction after the car. The officer said “You can’t do that in a Camaro”.
Ford should be ashamed of itself for eliminating the Crown Victoria !
A simple vehicle overall, but excellent for police and taxi use.
Maybe Congress needs to pressure Ford for National Security just like they did in WW II.
About 1989 in Minnesota, there were many Mustangs on the road with the MN Highway Patrol. Usually the only markings was a red light on the RF fender with a MN Highway Patrol emblem. Above the center mirror, was a light that was hidden, as well as some in the rear. None could be seen until they were activated.
In southern MN there was a MN Highway Patrol Officer that even put a rag doll in the back window to help disguise the patrol car.
Maybe they should use Mustang Mach 1’s for patrol now. Of course they would all need to be automatic trans, as that generation would not know how to shift a 6 speed manual.