Say it ain’t so. Say that the good guys will always light up our rear view with that good ‘ol Ford Blue Oval gleaming in the grille, that the Crown Vic – exploding gas tanks and all — will always be The Cop Car.

Nope.
Just as rust never sleeps, so must old Fords find their way home, even in the case of the Dearborn automaker’s longstanding and virtually complete monopoly of the police cruiser business. ‘Tis a sad day, but one long in coming: According to the Detroit Free Press in an article on August 25, the ‘Vic is retiring, and in its place Ford will customize a Taurus (Taurus!) to sell to police departments.

You can bet more than a few automakers are giddy in anticipation of stealing some small but important business from Ford. Even though it’s a small volume, automakers make up the difference in whiz-bang technology not, um, available to the unwashed masses. Just remember, though, that this ain’t NASCAR so don’t expect to get nabbed by a Camry. And you’re probably not going to get pulled over by, say, a Golf with a cherry on top. Chrysler has an answer, however,  in the guise of the super-cool and nasty Charger Pursuit.

I can tell you from personal experience that getting lit up by a Charger is really not much different than a Crown Victoria. And certainly not any more fun.

Read more at the Detroit Free Press and then come back and tell me what you think: If you were the Dukes of Hazard – or OJ Simpson — would you rather be chased by a Crown Vic, a Charger or Caprice?

Related Links:
US News and World Report: Dodge Unveils 2011 Charger Police Car
SFGate: Chevy Priming Police for Patrols
Consumer Reports: New Ford Taurus Police Car