Police cars, taxis, ambulances, postal trucks, and other fleet vehicles

Police car news | Dodge Charger police cars

This section is devoted to the many Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, and DeSoto fleet cars, including squads, ambulances, police cars, and others.

While most readers skip to the Dodge Charger section, the best starting point is the three-part history of Mopar police cars, culminating with current police car and fleet car information.

We also have sections postal vehicles, taxis, school buses, and ambulances, specialty pages on many police cars, and a growing section on fleets outside the United States.

Going back to police cars, we have former officer Curtis Redgap’s two-part article; Bill Cawthon briefly described what a police package is; and a former squad-car mechanic and two officers sent us their experiences.

A squad car hobbyist sent details on owning former police cars, along with a guide on buying ex-squads. An officer of a national squad car owner’s group also provided an owner’s perspective (and hidden dangers) in the basics of police car collecting and his column on police-car collecting.

There is lots of information on engines for 1967-72 and 1976 squads, and a fleet-car forum.

How good were the Mopar police cars?

Bill Cawthon noted that Dodge squads held a grip on the California Highway Patrol longer than any other brand of vehicle. The 1969 Polara was the fastest police car ever tested by the CHP, until beaten by the Camaro in the 1990s, 25 years later. By 1958, Dodge was the sole source. From 1958 until the 1980s, the only times a brand other than Dodge was selected as the primary car were in 1962, when the CHP bought Chrysler Enforcers; 1967, with Oldsmobile; and 1970, with Mercury.

For more Mopar squad information, check out Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1956-1978 and 1979-1994.  To send e-mail to the Webmaster, click here. Also check out the Emergency Vehicle Owners and Operators Association.

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