Since 1950, Ford has been building cars designed for the rigors of law enforcement. Starting with the 1950 Ford Mainline and going all the way to the 2018 Ford Responder Hybrid Sedan, Ford has dominated the law enforcement segment with high-performing and reliable cars that take the worry out of fleet maintenance. So to celebrate that fact, Ford has released a great video showing the progression of law enforcement vehicles over the past 67 years—and we at The Drive decided to highlight a couple of our favorites.
In 1971, Ford released the Galaxie with a 7.0-liter V8—plenty of power for the California Highway Patrol and New York Police Department, both of which picked up the vehicle. In 1982, Ford released the first police-issue Mustang SSP with a high-output, 5.0-liter V8 plus heavy duty stabilizers and front disk brakes for improved handling at pursuit speeds.
One year later, Ford introduced the Crown Victoria for the law enforcement setting—and although it was a success, the Crown Victoria really took off with the P71 Police Interceptor in 1998. Equipped with a 4.6-liter V8, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor had plenty of pursuit power, but it was far from a rocket. Ending its lifecycle as a Crown Victoria P7B Police Interceptor in 2011, the Crown Victoria was able to crank out 250 horsepower in its last year…but Ford felt it was time to move on.
In 2013, Ford introduced the Interceptor and Interceptor Utility. Both of these vehicles utilize a twin-turbocharged V6 and an all-wheel-drive system, each a first for Ford’s law enforcement division. Another impressive feature about the Ford Interceptors is that they can withstand a rear impact at 75 mph—a feature that started with the Crown Victoria P71.
The video ends with the highly anticipated Ford Responder Hybrid sedan. Powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 1.4-kilowatt lithium ion battery, the Responder is the first pursuit-rated hybrid in history, according to the company. Ford says the Responder recognizes when you are in pursuit mode and activates both means of power for optimal performance. Stay tuned to The Drive for more information on the 2018 Ford Responder Hybrid sedan.