Crown Vic Interceptor to Die in 2011. Or Not.
Having invested a considerable amount in its Taurus full-size car, Ford will almost certainly be discontinuing its Crown Victoria Interceptor (police model) in 2011. The Detroit News reports that Ford made the announcement to departments in June, when it invited officers to Dearborn to discuss Ford’s police fleet future. After breaking the news that the old warhorse would be put out to pasture, Ford gave officers the keys to its new Taurus, inviting them to drive the Crown Vic’s likely replacement. “We have no intention of walking away from our share of that market,” says Ford’s Jim Farley.
But the Taurus isn’t exactly a plug-and-play prowler. Police like the Crown Vic’s easy-to-repair body-on-frame construction, its column shift (which frees up room for a shotgun) and sheer size. Though the Taurus offers more speed, efficiency and safety, it lacks many of those features that make the Crown Vic America’s most popular cop car. Also, the Crown Vic has been the police standard for so long, a whole industry has emerged offering innumerable accessories, options and add-ons for cop duty. But if the Crown Vic keeps its shoulder to the plow past 2011, it won’t be because of any of these reasons. The two factors that are making this decision so tough for Ford are that the Crown Vic is long paid off, and that Ford is looking for concessions from the CAW, who assemble the Crown Vic. CAW president Ken Lewenza explains “keeping the Crown Vic in production until the end of the contract in 2012 would go a long way toward satisfying our objectives.” And there you have it.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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More Chargers and Tahoes for everyone. Because thats what will be filling the gap left by the CV. It wure won't be the Taurus....especially considering how spectacular the cheaper WImpala has done. The business case through 2016/CAFE is an obvious one, so obvious in fact, it continues to elude Ford. A mild reskin and parts bin update would get the car through to 2016 when CAFE will eliminate anything larger than a Fusion anyway. We are witnessing the death of the best built, longest lasting, safest sedan Ford makes folks, and the best selling Mercury nameplate and Lincoln nameplate ever. If Toyota or Honda treated their perspective best selling sedans this it would be a crime, when Ford does it, it somehow makes business sense?
BTW, Ford is working on a column-shift for the D3PI.
As an LEO I see the vehicles used by my agency abused on a daily basis. If maintained well, which my agency dispite its high profile and budget does not do, the crown vic is nearly indestructable. If allowed to be neglected, like our vehicles are, they still hang on a long while. The CVPI is the best vehicle for the job currently in production. That is not to say it is perfect or even the best vehicle for the job. The 1994-96 LT1 Caprice, is still a better vehicle. If it was kept in production and allowed to evolve I have no doubt it would be even greater along with forcing the CVPI to be better as well. These people saying that cars in their area are rarely used for high stress activities and a prius could do the job are flawed in their thinking. Cops rarely use their guns, so why dont we just get the cheapest piece of junk out there. You dont buy cop cars based on what they do most of the time. You buy them based on what they might have to do when that dark day comes. You do not want the people charged with our security relying on a Prius.
This issue is deeper than cop cars and extends to all cars. FWD unibody cars are not prevelant today because of fuel or safety concerns. It is all about saving a buck. If car companies could get away with taking away cupholders or the fenders they would but people would notice. So instead they get rid of the frame, the rear axle and the drive shaft and charge you the same for an inferior product cuz the average idiot doesn't notice and if they do they buy into it being newer, better, more efficient. WRONG.