I remember as a kid, I asked my dad why cops used Mopars.

[SteveSS]

It seemed like all the cop shows like Adam 12 the cops drove Plymouths and some Dodges. I've been interesed in cars my whole life. I don't really remember his answer but I don't think it convinced me. Were Mopars cheaper in the day than similar sized Chevys and Fords? Did municipal budgets favor these? I can see a modern day kid asking why cops drive Chargers.

 

[Davefinan]

Most everything comes down to dollars and cents. I can see a scenario where a city needs x amount of vehicles to convert to patrol cars, puts it out to the makers for bid , takes the best deal. All just speculation on my part though. I don’t really know.

 

[68BabyBlue]

I became a fan of Plymouth GTXs and Dodge R/Ts when I reached driving age, knowing they were powered by the identical engine used by the PA state police in their full size Fury II's. Even in the full size cars, they had the same unbeatable exhaust sound. I always assumed cost was a factor in the fleet choice, but I wonder if Chrysler was able to bid more competitively because of the sheer volume of sales to state police fleets around the country. The reliability of the high performance 440 may have entered into the equation as well.

The local municipality, on the other hand, ran Chevy Bel Airs, with 350s. Maybe they were cheaper in lower volume purchases. Then, in 1972, the town upgraded to Plymouths, with same package used by the State Police fleet. Within months, there was a crashed one sitting at the dealership every time my dad took his Valiant in for servicing. Mismatch of high performance cars with lower performance drivers. The town fathers went back to Chevy the following year.

 

[wahya]

Most everything comes down to dollars and cents. I can see a scenario where a city needs x amount of vehicles to convert to patrol cars, puts it out to the makers for bid , takes the best deal. All just speculation on my part though. I don’t really know.

Pretty much the way it is here for the state. My father in law was definitely a Mopar guy and the patrol had mopars starting in the 60's. My wife tells me that her daddy got a Ford one year and he blew a couple motors that had to be replaced under warranty. She says that Ford flew him to Detroit to drive their car. She doesn't remember just how that went, but the state went back to Mopar.

 

[j-c-c-62]

It seemed like all the cop shows like Adam 12 the cops drove Plymouths and some Dodges. I've been interesed in cars my whole life. I don't really remember his answer but I don't think it convinced me. Were Mopars cheaper in the day than similar sized Chevys and Fords? Did municipal budgets favor these? I can see a modern day kid asking why cops drive Chargers.

I thought the answer was obvious, the cops wanted to catch the bad guys, not follow them.

 

[toolmanmike]

They were cheap and tough.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I worked at my dad's gas station in Ft Lauderdale in the 60's as kid. Of course, I always got the bottom of the barrel jobs, he didn't believe in or practice favoritism or give a free ride at work to anybody. Even though Mopars were the main flavor my dad owned (Polara 500-300F-49 T&C 9 passenger, and so on) I would have rather changed a water pump on a BB Mopar any day over any other brand. Only Mopar headscratcher for me were the tapered rear axles. I would think most fleet repair shops would agree, but I am not sure how much of that thinking is just my personal bias.

 

[YY1]

It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar.

 

[chargervert]

Steve Earle....Copperhead Road!

 

[thehemikid]

...I still remember that rumblin' sound.