During the 1980s, Dodge and Plymouth dominated the police-car scene with their Diplomat; when they stopped production in 1989, Chevrolet’s Caprice 9C1 with the LT1 V-8 ruled the roost. After General Motors stopped producing full-size sedans in 1996, Ford’s Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, or CVPI, the last of the old rear-wheel-drive cars, took over by default until Dodge re-entered the fray with its new Dodge Charger Pursuit, around seven years ago. The Charger easily outperformed the old Fords, but Dodge had some history to overcome, and many fleet managers were comfortable with what they had; but as time went on, fleet after fleet acquired test cars from Dodge and Chargers started to become a familiar sight, easily outselling the smaller Impala 9C1.
When Ford stopped making the CVPI, with Dodge’s bite apparently bringing Ford’s plant below its break-even point, it quickly prepared two replacements: a front wheel drive, Taurus-based..
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