Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock
When you think of Ford's most iconic vehicles, there are some seriously historic names that come to mind. There's the Model T, the Model A, the Mustang, the Bronco, and the F-series pickup, just to name a few. Another that should be listed among those greats is the Crown Victoria — particularly the versions built on Ford's amazing Panther Platform. For the Crown Vic, its legend actually comes less from civilian use and more from its decades of service as America's de facto law enforcement vehicle.
The silhouette of the Crown Victoria, the profile of its headlights, and even the sound of its V8 engine at full song have been embedded into the minds of American motorists since the late 1980s. But the car's impact isn't just remembered by civilians; the Crown Victoria was, and is still revered by police departments across the country. That's why you'll still find them in service today, more than 14 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line.
The Crown Victoria was already considered an ancient vehicle when Ford stopped production back in 2011, so why then is it still being used today in the mid-2020s? Quite simply because the Crown Vic is one of the most durable police vehicles of all time. Everything that makes the car so antiquated, also makes it excel when it comes to taking punishment and then easily being put back on the road.
They don't make them like they used to
Andy Sutherland/Shutterstock
The roots of the Crown Victoria police cars that are still in service today go all the way back to 1979, when the Panther Platform was launched. At the time, full-size, body-on-frame, rear-drive sedan was pretty common in America, but as the years went on, pickup trucks, SUVs, and more modern, unibody passenger cars started to make the Panther Platform a bit of a relic.
Though the Panther Platform had lost its appeal among civilian buyers, the cars continued to be popular among law enforcement agencies right up until the point that Ford discontinued the Crown Victoria in 2011. The Autopian asked various law enforcement agencies why they still used aging Crown Victorias, and the overwhelming reasons were its durability and low repair costs – especially when compared to newer police vehicles like the Ford Explorer or Dodge Charger.
Even back in the 2000s, the Vic was unrivaled in its ruggedness. The sturdy, body-on-frame construction meant it could take a beating and keep going. The old school, live axle rear suspension was unrefined, but that meant it could take a lot more abuse without broken suspension arms. Parts were simple, and repairs were inexpensive. In fact, the Crown Victoria had developed such a strong reputation among law enforcement agencies that when Ford announced it was discontinuing the model, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department famously purchased a stockpile of 600 new Crown Vics, with hundreds still being used today.
How long can they last?
Scott Olson/Getty Images
For Ford, the vehicle that's taken over when the Crown Victoria left off is the police version of the Ford Explorer SUV. Though the 'Police Interceptor Utility' offers a number of upgrades from the civilian version and the SUV body style offers some interior space and practicality not found in a sedan, some departments have reported that the old school Crown Vics were a bit tougher from a reliability standpoint. Also, despite the big safety advancements compared to the ancient platform, the Explorer's higher center of gravity can also make it a little riskier in high-speed driving maneuvers.
Despite the incredible longevity the Crown Victoria has shown in law enforcement use, it won't be around forever. Right now, the biggest issue by far is parts availability. With even the newest Crown Victorias now being 15 years old, suitable replacement parts are becoming harder and harder to find. As a solution, departments do their best to cannibalize parts from retired or wrecked vehicles to keep other Crown Vics in service, but even that supply is finite. Eventually, the supply of usable parts will dry up to the point where it's no longer feasible for law enforcement agencies to keep these relics in service, but now the enduring Crown Vic soldiers on.
