GM and Chrysler threatening Ford’s domination on police car market

For those who don’t know, the police car market has been dominated by Ford with its Crown Victoria, as Ford sold almost 70 percent of the 75,000 cars sold annually. However, things are about to change as Chevrolet will introduce the 2011 Caprice police car which promises to be better than the Victoria.

But don’t think that Ford will accept this, because you are wrong and the manufacturer will introduce a front-wheel drive Police Interceptor based on the Taurus. The Crown Victoria police car production will stop in August 2011, when it will be replaced the new Police Interceptor.
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wins555 - 9/22/2010 10:54:53 AM

+1 Boost

Is it still profitable for GM, Ford and Chrysler to go through all this trouble to design and supply the police cars? Maybe for bragging rights?

veyron1001 - 9/22/2010 11:55:33 AM

+1 Boost

Strictly advertising and resigning fleet contracts in the future.

Shredmo - 9/22/2010 11:47:28 AM

+2 Boost

If GM manages to be successful selling the Holden Statesman as a Caprice, there should be a good supply of replacement components to support my Pontiac G8 well into the future. Furthermore, this new Caprice is the only World car of the bunch. The basic zeta platform is sold worldwide as a Holden Commodore/Statesman (Aus./ N.Z.), Vauxhall VXR8 (Europe), Buick Park Avenue (China), Chevrolet Lumina (Middle East) & I believe Chevrolet Omega (South America).

pushrod27 - 9/22/2010 1:41:50 PM

+1 Boost

it seems to me that they just take turns passing this around. Chevy dominated the market until they stopped building the Caprice back in 1996 and they let Ford dominate. Now Ford is replacing the classic interceptor with a front-wheel drive Taurus - if the cops wanted that, they would be buying Impalas (some do - the Phila. PD has a lot of them.)

Whelan - 9/22/2010 2:08:43 PM

0 Boost

NYPD has loads of Impala's on the streets. The Taurus is an AWD twin turbo V6. So it is not fully FWD, just biased to FWD. And in testing it has bested this old Caprice (old in every country but ours) in almost every category.

Willis - 9/22/2010 2:58:01 PM

+2 Boost

Bring back the Plymouth Volare police cars!

theman440 - 9/22/2010 7:49:26 PM

+1 Boost

How about the '69 Dodge Manaco cruisers?

tango - 9/22/2010 5:19:45 PM

+2 Boost

@ Shredmo: The Statesman is sold as the Caprice in the Middle East. The Commodore (short wheelbase) is sold as the Lumina.

Shredmo - 9/22/2010 5:27:03 PM

+1 Boost

Was not aware of that. Makes sense.

WorldofLuxury - 9/22/2010 5:55:03 PM

+1 Boost

This car has been in production for quite awhile - should explain a lot about how well it performs and how usable it is.