JAN 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 1

eral Beacon Ray. By the

eral Beacon Ray. By the 1960s, the single, rotating light began being replaced with federal bar mounted dual lights. Towards the end of the decade, enclosed lightbars began being manufactured, sticking with police cars to the modern day. Larger police departments started separating themselves from the regular trend and asked their cars to be painted in two, contrasting colors, to be fitted on the doors and front/rear fenders. Plymouth, one of the favorite choice of police departments, took police packages even further and came up with an advertising campaign to promote their products. They even began building several packages to suit the needs of different law enforcement agencies. Chrysler replied with the release of the Dodge Coronet police package in Ford LTD & Crown Victoria 1956, followed by the Dodge Dart Before the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was born, it was the Pursuit in 1959. Ford LTD with the P72 production code designating it for police, The American police’s taste in taxi, and fleet duty. By the end of the 1970s, available police cars terms of cars thus began taking shape. Even since the 1932 Ford didn’t have the power that law enforcement wanted, and that V-8, the appeal of law-defenders for muscle cars grew. By the la. The Ford LTD is mainly included here for fond memories of 70s went for the instantly recognizable Ford LTD and Chevrolet Impa- 1970s, just about the entire fleet and 80s TV movies where they were, more often than not, seen of police cars was a force to be losing hubcaps or spinning out and crashing into things while the reckoned with, spearheaded by protagonist escaped. 300+ hp engines. TIDE TURNING Another major change happened in the beginning of the 1960s, when smaller cars began being used as squad vehicles. As the compact car was slowly making its way into the world, police began turning their attention form the large and mid-sized sedans. The shift in taste culminated with some call “the ultimate police car” of the ‘70s (and since), the Chevrolet Nova police package. 48 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 49 ... LTD & corwn vic