Dodge, Plymouth, and Jeep squad and fleet cars and trucks

The history of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth police cars

rear Satellite


Plymouth Fury

Rarely was an early-day police vehicle equipped with a two-way radio, or even a receiving only (one-way) radio! Many of the officers who contributed photos of early police cars commented that the officer was not protected from the prisoners being transported. No information has been found indicating that any of these cars had any sort of cage or barrier to separate officer from offender. Many departments used the close coupled business coupe for police work, resulting in a transported prisoner sitting directly alongside the officer!

Plymouth has apparently been in the police car business longer than many people realize. The earliest reference we could find of Plymouth police cars was of the use of 1932 PB coupes by the Washington State Patrol. It wasn't until the 1950s, however, that the term "police package" (referring to a specially equipped automobile designed solely for police work) would come into common usage. Most of these cars, of course, were equipped with the largest possible engine plus a special handling package not available to the general public. In later years these cars were true "muscle cars" in every sense of the word, except that the muscle car package was hidden in a "mom-and-pop" four-door sedan rather than the more noticeable convertible or hardtop coupe.

1975 gran fury

While early Ford V8s had a reputation for the speed and power desired by police departments, Plymouths were a popular choice for police work even in the early years.


Acceleration StandardChevyFord V8Plymouth Six
Full Mile - Time80 seconds 68 seconds 60 seconds
Full Mile - Final Speed78 mph82 mph90 mph

Over the years Plymouth turned out some special cars for police work. One of the first was the Wichita, Kansas, police department’s 1934 PE four-door “Flame Car.” The Flame Cars were factory attention getters designed to boost traffic into dealers' showrooms. All were painted a flamboyant “Carotte No. 3” paint commonly referred to as “the pumpkin color.”

Many of the cars came with mirrored windows (you could see out from inside the vehicle but no one could see in), but these had to be replaced before the car could be sold since they were illegal for most uses. However, the Wichita car kept these windows and a loudspeaker system was fitted. An officer would park on a street corner and, unseen, watch for violations. Seeing one, he would pick up the microphone and draw attention to the offending driver's actions by pointing them out to all other drivers in the vicinity!

1967 Plymouth Fury police cruiser

By 1935, a more popular seller was the armour-plated Plymouth, followed in 1936 by an ambulance conversion aimed directly at the police sales market. A high compression cylinder head and various heavy duty taxi-oriented items also helped boost Plymouth's sales in police markets.




dodge polara


By 1956, the demand for fleet vehicles such as police cars and taxis was so great that Plymouth decided to openly advertise its products through special police car and taxi sales catalogs. Realizing the need to meet the demands of the customer, Plymouth offered not just one “police car” but a fleet of different police cars each designed to meet the needs of the various agencies to which the vehicles were to be sold.


classic police cars


Plymouth had come up with a “Police Pursuit” package on its own for the 1957 models. It was every bit as tough as the Dodge, and if you equipped it with the 318 cubic inch 8 barrel, 290 horse V-8, faster than a D-500 Dodge.

Plymouth had put together a series of packages that appealed to a cross section of police work. Dodge wondered what was happening when Plymouth started grabbing orders that they had expected to get. Most fleet managers are leery about multiple carburetor packages, which tend to be difficult to keep in tune, hence the single four barrel on the 301 — the package that Plymouth sold the most of in 1957. Plymouth also put 12 inch brakes on all its Pursuits, where Dodge stayed with the 11 inch drums until the Polara model of 1961. If you thought the Dodge brakes were tough, the ones on the Plymouth were formidable!

dodge polara side view

A Nevada Highway State Trooper in his 1957 Plymouth spotted a tractor-trailer going down the mountain. The driver signaled wildly that the air brakes had gone out.

The Trooper wheeled around in a "bootlegger's turn" and accelerated to over 120 mph to catch the runaway truck. Momentarily blocked by on coming traffic, the Trooper had to stay in line behind the free wheeling 18 wheeled monster. He clocked it at 85 mph, and it was accelerating.

As soon as he could, the Trooper accelerated past the roaring 60 tons of rolling menace. Once in front of the tractor, he backed off the throttle, and slowly allowed the tractor's front bumper to contact the rear of the Plymouth. The Trooper steadily pumped the brake pedal, keeping the front bumper of the truck against his car. At first, it didn't seem to have much affect. However, with smoke coming from all four of the Plymouth's brakes, the speed began to steadily decrease. Slowly, then more rapidly. 80...75...65...60...50... and finally down to 20 miles per hour where the tractor driver was able to downshift his transmission, and use the soft edge of the road to stop.

1957 DeSoto police car

As the Trooper stopped, the two front tires explosively blew out from the tremendous heat. The fins and truck area were bashed in, but once again, MoPar engineering had saved lives! The truck could have surpassed 120 miles an hour on the 25 mile long grade, becoming a 60 ton road rocket with disastrous destructive potential. Bashed, bruised, and burnt out as it was, after the tires were changed, the Plymouth brought the Trooper safely back to his station.

Plymouth targeted three specific areas of police work that covered the whole spectrum of the job. They had their six cylinder Sentinel package that revolved around economical city operations, much like a taxi. Then they had their "Metro Patroller," that concentrated on the Sheriff's Departments, which usually had city, suburbs, and wide open spaces to cover. Its featured engine was the Hi-PO 301 V-8 with the four barrel and dual exhausts. Then, of course, was the State Police/Highway Patrol "Pursuit Special" that centered on the 290 horsepower Fury V-800.




The 1960 Plymouth police offerings came in three models: the Patroller Special, the Patroller 30-D Economy Six and the Pursuit Special Golden Commando 395. The first was equipped with a 230 hp 318 V8; the second, powered by the new 225 cid 145 hp slant six engine, was designed for city police work where top speeds were not crucial. The third, a more potent version of the Patroller, was fitted with the 361 cid 305 hp V8. (The "395" referred to the foot-pounds of torque put out by the engine.) Advertised as having "lightning-like acceleration" and "eye-popping getaway," the Pursuit Special was recommended "specifically for patrol service on expressways, highways, super highways and turnpikes.

In addition to two- and four-door sedans, a line of "Emergency Wagons" for ambulance use was offered. Again, engine choices came to a six or the small V8 for the six- passenger wagons while the nine-passenger version was offered with a V8 only. Like all police cars, these Plymouths were fitted with heavy duty components designed to with- stand the rigors of police work.





1967-1976 engine and squad car specifications.

For more details on various squad cars and the insider's view, click here!

fury squad




1969 (courtesy Seth Ellestad)

Squads in this era were normally available as two- and four- door sedans in lowest trim levels, and were available in base or pursuit-class versions. There were also Emergency Wagons, specially modified station wagons.

1969 was the year of the ultimate squad; for a quarter century afterwards, nothing could match its performance capability - the 1969 Polara Pursuit. This was the apex of the high-power era, the last year before lower compression engines and tightening emisions requirements. The 1969 Polara Pursuit, with its 375 bhp 440, sleek new "fuselage" bodystyle, and standard 3.23 axle, could do 0-60 in 6.3 seconds, the quarter mile in 14.3 seconds (at over 99 mph), and run out to a top speed of (or, by some accounts, above) 147 mph.

dodge polara



Why the 1969 CHP Polara was such a big deal (by Mike Sealey)


1968 Plymouth FuryCHP and LAPD were prized enough customers that Chrysler made specific parts for each department, factory part numbers and all. CHP even had its own cam grind.

Had there been a 1970, the Polara might have been even hotter. California Governor Ronald Reagan was insistent that all state agencies buy from different sources at least once in a while; so CHP got 428 Mercury Montereys in 1970. These were a disappointment. (My uncle, the former CHP officer, told me Chrysler that tried to convince CHP to enter into a five-year contract, and offered to make stuff even beyond what they actually made if they could convince CHP to do so, but the state refused to go beyond year-by-year.)



1969 Model
Dodge Polara
Plymouth Fury
Dodge Coronet
Plymouth Belvedere


The 1969 Axle Ratios
Transmission / Engine
Manual 6
Manual 8
2.94 or 3.55


1969 Fury Engines
318 (standard)
2 barrel
2 barrel
4 barrel
4403604 barrel
440 HP3754 barrel

Suspension upgrades included heavy-duty shocks, extra-heavy duty springs, a special front sway bar, an optional rear sway bar, and extra body welds and reinforcements. Squads also received extra heavy duty semi-metallic police brakes, a heavy duty cooling system with H/D radiator and engine fan, heavy duty seats and interior trim, and a heavy-duty electrical system with H/D battery and high-output alternator. TorqueFlite automatic transmissions were specially calibrated for police use.

From Jim Benjaminson: By 1969 the V8-powered Plymouth was called the Fury Pursuit and the six, the Fury Patroller. The smaller Belvedere was likewise available in either Pursuit or Patroller trim as well as in a line of Emergency Wagons. Belvedere buyers had to settle for the base 318 or the two 383 options. Patroller models were relegated to the 225 cid 145 hp slant six.

1970 Mopar squads (courtesy Seth Ellestad)

Minnesota Highway Patrol Plymouth FuryThere weren't many changes for 1970, though engines began to lose compression to comply with new emissions standards. Models and axle ratios were identical to those available in 1969. Power ratings remained the same, but they lost a few horses to the lower compression ratios, whether Chrysler chose to face up to that fact or not. The big 440 HP (high performance) Pursuits could "only" make it up to about 141 mph now. The 1970 Olds Delta 88 Police Apprehender, with the 390 bhp Interceptor 455, had a similar estimated top end. GM waited until '71 to begin dropping the compression ratios on their high-power engines.

Most Chryslers had minimal changes from the previous year, just to keep them recognizably new models, but the 1970 Coronet was facelifted significantly. It was now visibly different from its Plymouth relative, with a new, unusual "twin loop" front-end styling job. At the time, most reviewers found this both strange and unattractive, though it had an aerodynamic benefit, giving the Coronet a small but definite performance advantage over the Belvedere.

1971 Dodge and Plymouth police cars (courtesy Seth Ellestad)

1971 Plymouth Fury police car

1971 Model
Dodge Polara
Plymouth Fury
Dodge Coronet
Plymouth Belvedere

1971 marked the end of the high compression era, although Chrysler had slowly started lowering compression ratios beginning the year before. Ford held on to its high-compression performance engines through the 1971 model year, the last manufacturer to do so. The compression ratios of Chrysler engines fell once more, as they were subtly retuned yet again.

The big block 383 and 440 used different pattern heads to better meet emission strandards, switching from the "906" casting number units, that had helped power the awesome 1969 Polara 440 Pursuit, to the "346" heads which helped the engines run cleaner. A new engine, the 360 small block, equipped with a 2v carb and single exhaust, became optional on the Fury and Polara squads as a mid-range lower compression optional police engine. This was the beginning of a very succesful police car motor.


New this year were net horsepower ratings, giving a more realistic measure of useable engine power than the previous "gross power" rating method. For 1971 only both rating systems were used side-by-side, no doubt to ease the shock of auto buyers.

1971 Fury squad

1971 was a year of very little change for Chrysler's full sized cars, and even the obligatory sheetmetal alterations looked little different than last year's. However, the Chrysler intermediates were all new. They were wider and larger and were given "fuselage" styling that resembled the current full size cars much more closely. They were also given a one-inch longer wheelbase, and the Plymouth version, formerly called "Belvedere," was now known as the "Satellite", the former name having been dropped completely.

Axle ratios were similar to those available in 1969 and 1970.



Details on the 1971 Dodge squad cars, with specifications and photos

CB radios in police cars (by Wes Notovitz)






1972 AMC Matador squad car

Starting in 1972, engines had to be tuned for more stringent emissions standards and had to run on low-lead gasoline. Compression ratios dropped noticeably, and net measure became the only system used to rate power output. The venerable 383 engine was at long last discontinued, but a bored-out 400 version suited for low compression replaced it.



1973 Plymouth patrol cars


gran fury side

Curtis Redgap noted:


Road & Track tested several police packs in 1973, as cited by Ed Sanow. The 460 Ford Torino went up against the 360 Dodge Coronet, as well as the 401 Matador. The 460 Ford ran a mid 16.47 sec 1/4 and 84 miles an hour at the trap. The Dodge (with 100 fewer cubic inches) ran a 16.60 sec 1/4 and an 84 mile an hour trap. The Matador whipped them both with a 15 second 1/4 an 88 mile an hour trap. The California Highway Patrol test of the Dodge Polara with a 440 ran to 60 in 7.7 seconds, did the 1/4 in 15 seconds with a 90 mile an hour trap, and ran it out to 129 miles an hour, beating all others, again.

Gran Fury head on


Ford never did well, not so much as to the engines or speeds, but for their poor braking performance. Some testing agencies rejected Ford out of hand due to their brake deficiencies. It isn't always a drag race that counts. However, once the speed is achieved, it IS a matter of stopping, and I know from experience that Fords were shunned by patrolmen, given choices of other vehicles.

plymouth gran fury

The New York State Police were given a "SPECIAL OPTION" 1968 Plymouth Fury I that had a 426 Hemi engine in it, dual Carbs and all. It allegedly reached reached 155 mph speeds in straight line testing on the I-81 Northway. The SP rejected it due to the dual carb set up, poor mileage, and high cost of the engine option, as I recall.


1974-1979 Chrysler Corporation squad cars



inside the squad car


Curtis Redgap wrote:


We were looking at about 150 units that year. Once the bid became public, Ford Fleet actually called the County Manager, and offered to set their bid price $100 lower, because of a so called "irregularity" in their process. He called me up to his office, and tried to intimidate me to accept the Ford offer. I said "no," I was going to go by the state law regarding bidding. Once the bid is accepted, that is the bid, and by law, unless there are notable exceptions, like items left out, or clear mistakes in equipment. It cannot be altered, unless you bid it, equally, again. Bids are submitted sealed to the bid manager (me).



1975 plymouth Gran Fury

The Pursuit models were specially built police package cars that utilized all the "standard" heavy duty equipment normally expected to be found on such cars. But what if a buyer didn't want to purchase a regular sedan for police work? Plymouth obliged by making option package A38 available, effective with the 1974 model year. The A38 package could be had on any Fury I, II or III two-door hardtop, four-door hardtop, four-door sedan or station wagon. Together with a "special handling package," the A38 included a battery heat shield, police brakes, 140 mph calibrated speedometer, firm police power steering and heavy duty seats.

1975 police car

The A38 package was continued into 1975. Buyers not wanting the "standard" Gran Fury Police Pursuit or the Fury Police Pursuit could get the same equipment on any Fury, Fury Custom, Gran Fury or Gran Fury Custom with power choices ranging from 318, 360, 400 to 440 cid engines.



Jim Benjaminson: For 1976 the Plymouth police car range was increased to include not only the Fury and Gran Fury Pursuits but also the Chrysler Newport Pursuit and a Valiant Pursuit. The Valiant was available with slant six, 318 or 360 engines [this very rare car would be surprisingly potent!]. The A38 police package could be had on any other body style. Ditto for model year 1977, which saw 17 Chrysler police packages, led by the 245 hp 440.

The Volare squad replaced the Valiant after 1976 — though the Valiant pursuit package had only been introduced in 1976! Not many Volares were actually used, though there have been sightings (not the least of which was in the movie Strange Brew). These seemed most popular in the Northwest and Canada.

inside the fury

Mike Sealey added: “About 1976, Seattle’s police department obtained a Chevy Nova with the 350 and 9C1 police package for testing, and Chrysler loaned them a 360 Volare with the A38 package and non- standard generic "POLICE" markings. The F-body won, because the 1977-79 fleet was all Aspens.”

1978 Monaco 440

For 1978 Plymouth offered the Volare Pursuit in addition to the Fury Pursuit. As well, there was a new addition to the line, a full-size Plymouth Voyager van known as the Law Enforcer. In its long wheelbase form, the van was perfect for transporting large numbers of prisoners. Plymouth captured 80% of the police car market in the United States in 1978.

Monaco squad

The 1978 Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury were said to be among the best Mopar squads, equipped with the 440 and 400 in their last years. The 440, thanks to Lean Burn and new catalytic converters, was up to 255 hp. The Fury, in its final big-block year, beat the best of its competition in the Michigan State Police tests, recording a top speed of 133 mph and reaching 100 mph in under 25 seconds. The Aspen and Volare replaced the Valiant and Dart as compact squads, but, like their predecessors, were quite rare.


royal monaco


royal monaco

Mike Sealey wrote:

Seattle actually ran a full fleet of A38 Dart police cars, and seemed happy with them. Seattle had previously used B-bodies (last ones were the 1973 Satellite) for police duties, while most other municipal cars were Slant Six Darts. In 1973, they obtained what I believe was an experimental police-package Dart for evaluation, and must have been happy with it, as their 1974-76 squads were all Darts. (Seattle city streets are hilly and often curvy, so handling was more important than top speed).

The freeways were the province of the Washington State Patrol, which mainly used 440 C-bodies at the time.) SPD switched to 9C1 Malibus in 1980, went back to MoPar for 1982 Diplomats, switched to the Fairmont-based LTD LX in 1983, and then used Gran Furies through the end of RWD production in 1989.

AMC squads (Curtis Redgap)

AMC did make a short forey into the police car market. One of the biggest customers was the Los Angles Police Department, several Southern California agencies, and the Los Angles Sheriff. The first purchase for LAPD came in 1972. Most car companies were in the stranglehold of the EPA and V-8 power was down.

AMC used a 401 cubic inch V-8 that blew Mopar and every thing else out of the water for that size sedan. It got to 60 in 7 seconds flat! Top speed, while not a blazing requirement for LAPD was about 125 miles an hour which the Matador could reach in about 43 seconds. This was faster than the 1970 Plymouth Satellites that were so well liked by the Officers [webmaster note: in 1970, the LAPD used Mercury Montegos, which Ron Hurwitz called “a disaster,” while detectives used Plymouth Belvederes]. And it sure beat the pants off the 1971 Satellite models that were down on power, and with the new re-styled body, heavier than before.


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