Top 15 Most Unique American Police Cars Of All Time

Rosemary October 02, 2021 | 06:26

Take a look at the most iconic US cop cars in the history. Some of them are vintage and have special features.

Top 15 Most Unique American Police Cars Of All Time. Photo KnowInsiders

In America, the average cop car is a tuned version of a family sedan. Cars like the Chevrolet Caprice are most likely to be cop cars in the States because they blend into the landscape to the point that drivers may overlook them while motoring along. That isn’t the case everywhere. Many cities and countries use exotic cars, instead. Dubai, one of the wealthiest cities in the world, employs some of the most extreme examples of super-powered cop cars imaginable.

The greatest American cop cars have had oversized engines with high output and plenty of torque. In some cases, these cars have become synonymous with television shows. Think of old favorites like The Dukes of Hazzard, The Andy Griffith Show, and CHiPs. You can almost see the cop cars featured in those shows in your mind’s eye.

The List of The Top 15 Most Unique American Police Cars Of All Time

1. Ford Model T

2. Ford Model B

3. Ford Interceptor

4. Chevrolet Bel-Air

5. Ford Fairlane

6. Dodge Coronet

7. Chrysler Enforcer

8. Dodge Polara

9. Ford LTD

10. AMC Matador

11. Chevrolet Nova 9c1

12. Dodge Diplomat

13. Plymouth Volare

14. Ford Mustang Police Special

15. Chevrolet Caprice

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What Are The Most Unique U.S Police Cars?

1. Ford Model T

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The Ford Model T, which put America on the road in the early 20th century, was snapped up by police departments for the same reason Americans bought the car — its affordability. The vehicle was equipped with a four-cylinder engine, and its speed topped out at about 45 mph.

2. Ford Model B

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The Ford Model B was introduced in 1932, and police departments, whose budgets were constrained because of the Great Depression, purchased the inexpensive vehicle with its revolutionary flathead V8 engine for their fleets.

3. Ford Interceptor

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Ford first used the name “Interceptor” on a 1951 model with flathead v8 engine. The name has been used on Ford police models for more than 70 years.

4. Chevrolet Bel-Air

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The police edition of the Chevy Bel-Air was a common sight on streets in the mid-1950s. The Bel Air was known more for its styling and less for its practicality. It was powered by a juiced-up version of the 265ci small-block V8.

5. Ford Fairlane

One of the most widely-used American police cars of the late 1950s and early 1960s was the Ford Fairlane. Pictured above is a 1960 Ford Fairlane used by the Sarasota County Sheriff Department. A Ford Fairlane was the only squad car used during the first two seasons of The Andy Griffith Show. The Ford Fairlane offered the police the combination of a low initial sticker price and a durable big block engine — a duo that few departments could resist.

6. Dodge Coronet

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Dodge built several distinguished American police cars. The 1970 Dodge Coronet may be one of the more iconic. Powered by a hard-to-kill Magnum 440 (like the 1969 Dodge Polara), the Coronet featured a grille and headlight area that looked like it was squinting in concentration, almost as if it was daring a speeder to run.

7. Chrysler Enforcer

In the early 1960s, Chrysler produced its last official police package — vehicles outfitted specifically for police needs — in the Chrysler Enforcer, which was modeled on the Chrysler Newport. Police forces in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana were among the buyers of the car. The vehicle was used for several years by police forces before it was taken out of service.

8. Dodge Polara

The Dodge Polara endured as a pursuit cop car for several years. It did not enjoy the high demand of the Chevrolet Bel Air or the Ford Fairlane, but Polaras did boast very powerful engines. The 1965 Dodge Polara pursuit cop car was powered by a 413 cubic inch V8 — more than enough power to chase down any criminal. Not satisfied with a 413, Dodge turned to a 440 Magnum for the 1969 Polara pursuit car. Imagine being pursued by a cop car with 375 horsepower and a rated top speed of 147 miles per hour. Better yet, imagine buying one after it was decommissioned!

9. Ford LTD

The Ford LTD (pronounced el-tee-DEE) is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Police departments began buying smaller vehicles in the 1970s and adopted the Ford LTD as part of that initiative.

10. AMC Matador

AMC cars were chosen by police departments in the early 1970s, and the Matador was probably the most sought-after. It was used by the Los Angeles Police Department during that time. The car had a 401ci V8 that could reach 60 mph in seven seconds, and it topped out at 125 mph. The LAPD ceased orders of the Matador in 1974 because styling changes boosted body weight and hurt reliability.

11. Chevrolet Nova 9c1

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The Nova 9c1 was the result of a collaboration between the engineers who built the Chevy Camaro and the Nova. It was the most popular compact police vehicle of the 1970s and has been called the “ultimate police car.” The car had a 350-cid V-8 and could reach 165 mph.

12. Dodge Diplomat

The Diplomat, which closely resembled the Plymouth Gran Fury, was produced from 1980 to 1989. Originally a compact vehicle, the Diplomat packed a 318 V-8, and some models had a 360 engine, with two or four barrel carburetors. The cars were not as powerful as previous police vehicles, but they were lighter and were durable, and they prowled the streets of New York City in the 1980s. Cost-conscious municipalities chose the two-barrel 318s over the gas-guzzling four-barrel carburetors.

13. Plymouth Volare

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In the early 1980s, design mattered less to police departments, which opted for the frills-free Plymouth Volare. The 1980 Plymouth Volare Police Pursuit Sedan had a 359.9 cui engine and could go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds

14. Ford Mustang Police Special

The Mustang became one of the true American car icons in the 1960s, and police departments used the pony car extensively starting in 1982. The light-bodied vehicles were used to enforce speeding laws on interstates. Special service police vehicles came equipped with a 5-liter V-8 engine, automatic transmissions, automatic trans fluid coolers, and engine oil coolers.

15. Chevrolet Caprice

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The Chevrolet Caprice found popular use as a cop car at various times. The Chevrolet Caprice 9C1, built during the fourth generation, may be the best-known example. There are many reasons they were popular cop cars. First among them was that the base cars had a powertrain that featured a de-tuned Corvette LT1 engine with just 40 fewer horsepower than a Corvette of the same model year.