You’ll Never Get Another Chance to Buy a 3K-Mile Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Become the proud owner of this American icon.
Once a mainstay of the American cityscape, Ford's humble Crown Victoria is sadly becoming a rarity on the roads of the United States. Since retiring from fleet operations into heading into private hands, Crown Vics have never quite gotten the maintenance they deserve, as most examples that remain on the road are in varying states of disrepair. That's not a fate this icon of American public service deserves, and if a showroom-fresh example could be found, it'd be worth saving—so let that be your call to arms to rescue the low-mileage Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, possibly the finest of its kind, that just popped up for sale in South Dakota.
With just 2,970 miles on the odometer and accordingly glossy paint, this 2009 Crown Vic's nearly Concours d'Elegance-worthy condition alone would make it a notable survivor. But this isn't just any Crown Vic; it's a Police Interceptor. Made extra tough for use by law enforcement, Police Interceptors (sometimes known as P71s) were built with "severe duty' shock absorbers, stiffer spring rates, and higher ride height to bounce over potholes and curbs alike. Oil coolers plumbed into the coolant circuits of their 4.6-liter "Modular" V8s prevented P71s from burning out halfway through car chases, and no doubt was the difference between an arrest and a wanted poster on many occasion.
Despite their V8s and Interceptor monikers, though police-spec Crown Vics weren't ever as quick as the "cop motor" line in The Blues Brothers would lead you to believe (yes, we know the Bluesmobile was a Dodge Monaco). Retuned intakes may have bumped Interceptors up to 250 horsepower and their four-speed automatics programmed to shift more aggressively than civilian variants, but they still struggled to pull from a speed trap to highway speeds much quicker than 17 seconds, and even the fastest examples hit vmax just short of 130 mph.
While this Interceptor may not be the performance powerhouse you saw on the silver screen, it's still a fine example of the penultimate Panther body (second only to the Mercury Marauder), and a desirable, late-production model at that. Ford's final big upgrade to the Crown Vic, for the 2009 model year, included better brakes, FlexFuel ethanol compatibility, side-impact airbags, and adjustable pedals.
In other words, it does everything it can to justify its seller's asking price of $15,000. Yes, you can get double this Police Interceptor's gas mileage for a grand less by buying a Mitsubishi Mirage, but in the Mitsubishi nobody will ever get out of your way—and let's not pretend that's not half the appeal of driving a police cruiser lookalike.
h/t: Barn Finds
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com