Sometimes you can just fall in love with a design for a utility vehicle, even if it’s not entirely practical. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s well worth appreciating the effort that goes into the design, regardless of whether or not it opts for more form over function. We’re going to cover a little bit of both: vehicles that are cool because they’re functional, and those that are cool because of their form. Police cars are the ultimate combination of both form and function in one tidy and often fast package.
There are also some super awesome police cars that have graced the streets in one form or another. They’re not always practical for everyday patrols, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less awesome. Let’s take a journey down memory lane and recount some of these police cars that we can’t help but love.
1936 Buick Special
You probably wouldn’t want to be a scoundrel engaged in nefarious acts when this tank of a sedan comes rolling up on you, with its black and white color scheme and massive front end hiding a giant 4.1L inline-8 under the hood. The 1936 Buick Special police car was, and still is, a real sight to behold. It’s a mammoth, heavy, stylish looking vehicle that also happened to be quite popular back during that time.
Coming off a rough sales patch a few years prior, Buick put their head down and got to work on making something special with the Buick Special 40 Series. The large fender flares over the wheels, bullet-shaped headlamps, gargantuan grille, awesome emblem, and white-wall tires created an iconic look for this car. Unwieldy and heavy on the road, the 1936 Buick Special wasn’t the most maneuverable of police cruisers, but it was and still is one of the most formidable, intimidating, and classy police cars to ever patrol the streets.
1974 Dodge Monaco Squad Car
If you’re a fan of the 1980 adventure-musical-comedy The Blues Brothers, you’re probably well aware that the hero car of that film is a beat-up, yet very fast 1974 Dodge Monaco police cruiser. It either has uncanny supernatural abilities, or Elwood Blues is one of the best drivers ever to get behind the wheel. However, the 1974 Dodge Monaco squad car was quite real, and actually used by highway patrolmen. It was a genuine squad car, not just some movie prop.
The 1974 Dodge Monaco was a big, beefy full-size sedan, and the first model year of the third generation. It came equipped with a 5.9L V8 (yes, a sedan rocking a V8 was normal back then) and a manual transmission. Typically the Monaco was available standard as a two-door vehicle, but a four-door version was an option. As a squad car, the Dodge Monaco was usually kitted for four doors, a grille guard, an automatic transmission like the Bluesmobile, and emergency lights. It also sported a black and white livery, with the front doors and roof painted white while the rest was painted black. It was a powerful, formidable squad car. While you likely couldn’t squeeze it down any alleyways, you could definitely burn rubber with it.
1957 Chevy 150 Police Sedan
Talk about an absolute sweetheart of a car. The 1957 Chevy 150 Police Sedan is one of the prettiest police cruisers ever made. Based on the Chevy 150 fleet model sedan, the police iteration had that Tri-Five appeal to it, just like its close sibling, the iconic Chevy Bel-Air. The 150 was also built like a beast, rocking a small-block V8, automatic transmission, and optional dual four-barrel carburetor.
As a squad car, this thing was available in multiple liveries depending on where it was used, but the black and white paint job with the white doors and roof against a black body is probably its coolest look. Its design and functionality was also rather impressive, as it was small enough to be nimble on the road, but powerful enough to be a formidable foe for criminals attempting to make a run for it. Basically, it was the best of all worlds at the time.
1993 Chevy Caprice
One of the most underrated sleeper cars of its generation, the fourth-generation Chevy Caprice lives on as one of the more potent powerhouses the police possessed on the road in modern times. Its B-body platform afforded it enough modularity to increase its performance significantly. This included a standard small-block V8 that made 205 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, an automatic transmission, and enough weight to pull a pit maneuver on most other vehicles with relative ease, all while maintaining stability thanks to its girth.
What really made the 1993 Chevy Caprice police cars in particular so interesting was the 9C1 package. This consisted of an available detuned LT1 V8 engine from the Corvette, bumping the Caprice to 260 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. This may not sound like much today, but in the early 1990s these were extremely high numbers, making it not only effective for high-speed highway chases, but for getting around town without burning through fuel. Its unassuming looks and large frame may make it seem like it’s just another cruiser on the road, but this was the sleeper police car of the 1990s. Even the most skilled criminal drivers couldn’t outrun it.
1985 Chevy Caprice
Show me a 1980s action-movie chase scene, and I’ll find you a Chevy Caprice. These things were notoriously ubiquitous throughout the media during that era, and the 1985 Chevy Caprice is the perfect encapsulation of the iconic square-body design that made them look so cool. They were smaller than the larger 1970s dinosaurs that preceded them, but not yet of the sleeper variety that would be employed a generation later.
Even still, the 1985 Chevy Caprice looks awesome. It’s the every-man approach to its design that makes so iconic. It’s unassuming and lacks a brazen visage you would find on other squad cars. It wasn’t trying to be overly bombastic, muscular, or bold. It was designed to be efficient, practical, and functional. It achieved all these, all while sporting clean lines and great use of the emergency services utilities around the vehicle. The black and white livery is one of the more standout features about the Caprice. Even though it’s no longer in use as a fleet vehicle, we can still relish in its glory days through all those classic films that featured the Caprice as if it were its own character.
2023 Dodge Charger Pursuit
Not every awesome police car out there is an old classic. Some of the most awesome cruisers out there right now are actually the fleet vehicles provided by Stellantis, specifically the 2023 Dodge Charger Pursuit model. This menacing-looking beast has all of the benefits of the available Hemi-powered V8, but with the sensibilities and functionality of a standard police cruiser.
The bull bars, black wheels, and almost Robocop-like design makes it look like the kind of car you absolutely would not want tailing you while the lights are flashing and the sirens are blaring. Basically, it takes all of the cool and domineering features of the standard Dodge Charger and puts them into the hands of police. That makes it a lot tougher to even think about outrunning police, unless you’re in a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Texas Highway Patrol Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
Well, speak of the devil. The Texas Highway Patrol managed to get their hands on a highly tuned up Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, and converted it into a patrol car. This isn’t just any normal Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, though. It’s actually an extremely souped-up police cruiser that will ensure that nothing short of a Lamborghini will be outrunning it.
This particular Hellcat features a specially tuned 1,080 horsepower V8, black wheels, summer tires, emergency lights on the side skirts, and an all-black livery with the Texas Highway Patrol logo. The hood, roof, and rear are painted white, ensuring that you won’t mistake it for anything other than the meanest looking muscle car you’ll ever see out on patrol. Just imagine this thing pulling up behind you with that Hemi in full bloom. It would be like hearing a hungry demon, strapped to four wheels, barreling down the highway looking for its next meal.
2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
There is no cooler cop car than a cop car that happens to be a supercar. What’s the best supercar out there that also happens to be a cop car? The Lamborghini Gallardo, specifically the LP 560-4. This is an actual cop car that was donated to the Lazio Highway Police Department in Italy. The 2008 model was donated as a replacement for a previous Lamborghini model that the police actively used.
This wasn’t a garage queen show car, either. The predecessor to the 2008 Gallardo police cruise reportedly had nearly 90,000 miles on it, and was still running when it was replaced. The Italian police definitely put their supercar cruisers through their paces, including pushing the limits of the massive V10 with 8,000 rpm to its near-200 mph top speed limit. The royal blue and white livery with a matching blue interior is just an extra cherry on top. Even if you did happen to be in a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, chances are slim that you’d be getting away from this bad boy.
