Look at this blast from the past.
Remember when these were flying up and down California’s highways?
Thanks to the CHP for the photo.
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18 comments
Those things were light, powerful and had manual transmissions. Exactly that what you need to run down those speeders. I’d much rather have that than those Explorers they have now. We should be giving our officers Dodge Charger Hellcats. Divert the money we’re giving to those worthless homeless bums. Put it towards something actually that’s going to benefit the public.
Those Explorers are actually faster the the CVPI’s they replaced if you can believe it.
But yes, the SSP was a force to be reckoned with. I’m sure it took some practice working a manual AND a radio during a pursuit.
The CHP also used Camaros.
The Pleasant Hill Police use to drive
AMC Matadors back in the day.
I remember one of the instructors in the Diablo Valley College Administration of Justice program brought one for show and tell one day back then. It was descended upon enthusiastically by the students who had the hood up immediately and were crawling all over. The CHP Mustang was a phenom and a breath of fresh air the signaled the end of the Malaise Days.
Back in the early 60’s the City of Berkeley Police obtained some Plymouth Valiants with the slant 6. They quickly learned that Valiants were unable to climb some of the Berkeley hills and had to replace them.
The City of Livermore had a Corvette confiscated from a drug bust. It was painted black and white, had a light bar, siren, City logo on the door and the police accessories inside. I saw it at the Livermore Airshow.
They also had Dodge’s in the 60’s
My boyfriend back in 1976 bought a CHP car. Had it maybe 5 hours. Was racing another fool on highway 4, spun out and totalled the car. It was fast.
Not to be this guy, but the car is objectively not that fast, roughly as quick as a modern inline 4 automatic Toyota Camry. RWD makes fools of fools, is all. I never crashed a car but I definitely came close being a stupid teenager in RWD vehicles.
Exceedingly cool
Bob had it right , shifting and running the radio was not fun. They were fast but 8 hours in one made for being sore.
The CHP would not let the officers drive these
cars in the rain. There was too much power and
not a lot of weight. You also had to be specially
certified to drive the car. They use to line up these
cars on the shoulder of 580 near the Altamont Pass.
As the CHP airplane flew overhead it would radio
down to one of the waiting patrol cars, who would
begin pursuit. The CHP also use to drive Dodge
Diplomats. At the CHP Academy back in the late
1980’s the cadets use to chant as they marched-
“I use to drive a Cadillac, now I drive a Diplomat”
Many years later they got Dodge Chargers.
It’s so sad how the 80’s and 90’s cars have become a huge rarity on our roads. Cash for clunkers destroys thousands of desirable, reliable, awesome vehicles that should have ended up in collector hands, or just the hands of the poor who needs cheap wheels. 15 years ago I could get a smogged, rolling, relatively reliable beater off Craigslist for under $1500, now a car of similar age with smog is at minimum $3500k, more likely $5500k, which is far beyond inflation. Buying a used car SUCKS compared to our recent past.
The Ford Mustang, the version shown above, were also used in the U-2 Aircraft program.
Yes. I believe the band used them to fly over the Joshua Tree National forest. ( Where the streets have no name )
I remember these well. Back in my more youthful days, I had a few unfortunate opportunities to see one up close. Thankfully, I never was shown the back seat.
CHP buddy let me drive his Mustang for an hour. We had Ford Fairmounts one year, they blew up pretty quickly. Best patrol car was the Chevy Nova.
108RS
I remember when the CHP got those muscle cars. They needed them because there were too many cars on the road that could smoke their old fleet. Be interesting to see the data on how the introduction of this car affected speeding and car chases.
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