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End of the Line: Ford Crown Victoria Production to Cease at the End of September Despite Sales Surge


End of the Line: Ford Crown Victoria Production to Cease at the End of September Despite Sales Surge

Police departments are rushing to get their final orders in for the venerable Ford Crown Victoria sedans that have served them so well for decades as it has been announced production will cease at the end of September. How do we know that they are rushing? Well, Ford has released sales figures that shown a 70% increase in production this year for the model and a 110% sales increase from August 2010 to August 2011. 

You’ll still need to keep your eyes peeled on the highways and byways of the country of a long time to come though, as lots of these last minute sales will probably be mothballed by departments and gradually bled into service as needed. Ford will turn police buyers toward their police package Taurus, packing the Ecoboost engine and all wheel drive. As neat as that sounds, most departments preferred the rear wheel drive platform and both Chrysler, with their already on the market Charger police package and GM with the soon to be rolling out Caprice PPV are waiting, willing, and able to fill the RWD cop car void.

So far in 2011, Ford has sold 40,000 Crown Vics, and since they are not available for Joe Public to buy any more, they have all gone to fleet applications (taxis or coppers). Old people will be crying into their Depends as the Lincoln Town Car will also go away when the final “Panther” platform Ford rolls out the back end of the factory.

From the BangShift perspective, these cars, especially those that were used by detectives and didn’t spend their lives being pounded into the ground on daily patrols, make for really fun rides. The cult following behind them is growing stronger by the month and outside of the already good factory performance, there are parts popping up all over the place to further enhance the handling and there are already a pleathora of parts available to hot rod the modular engines between the frame rails.

As much as we hate to see a Crown Vic in our rear view mirror, we hate the thought of never seeing another on even worse.

Menacing Crown Vic

 


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9 thoughts on “End of the Line: Ford Crown Victoria Production to Cease at the End of September Despite Sales Surge

  1. gary

    An unwise move, IMO. Towns, cities, muni’s are all wising up and specifying RWD plateforms because fwd are just not as durable/easy to work on. Period. To me, the new rwd cars mentioned are too small to fit all the gear the fuzz need to operate, let alone for transporting massive monster perp’s. What’re they going to do? Call more cops in with vans? Oh THAT’ll help the budgets! Come on, Ford, pull your heads out!

  2. mustang13 Jeremy

    Hey, that car looks familiar LOL.

    I LOVE my P71. I would buy a brand new one over a new Mustang any day of the week. So much more practical yet has alot of performance for a big car. And 22mpg average will driving with spirit and anger isn’t bad either.

    I really thought Ford was fouling and would keep building the only full frame car still in production in the world but…. : (

  3. Gary 351C

    I think alot of people don’t realize that the panther will be the last full frame,V8 rear wheel drive american car that will ever be produced. Truly the end of an era. And yes, I think Ford will regret their decision, the Taurus will be a miserable failure. The new Caprice will once again rule the cop car market.

  4. scott liggett

    There is something very familiar about this mistake. Oh yeah, GM did the same thing in ’96 so they could build more soccer mom assault vehicles. Ford’s screw up is double as they are walking away from two markets they currently own more than 90% of the market share. This also includes the limo industry.

    Ford showed many limo company owners their replacement for the Towncar, the MKT, or MKZ, both are smaller with significantly less room for the paying passengers. And, they have a $4000-5000 higher price tag. funny, Ford didn’t get the excited response they were expecting from the limo owners. Gee, I wonder why. My boss has bought as many Towncars as he can afford to give him at least three years to figure what to do.

    Whatever Ford VP that came up with great idea should have his ass removed. Just another car company not building cars people want.

  5. Anonymous

    Last time I was arrested I got crammed in back of a Taurus cop car, it was very uncomfortable. Even had the plastic seat that gives more leg room between the seat and cage. I’ll confine my criminal activities to towns that have Crown Vics from now on.

  6. Ermott

    These panther police cars make the best, and I do mean the best street stock cars. They have coolers for everything, including the power steering pump. Whether it be the trophy dash at a 1/4 mile dirt oval, or a 4 hour enduro at a 1/2 mile paved track, give me one of these cars, and watch me out-live the others. Great cars.

  7. earl ludington

    Ford is shutting down the Talbotville plant that builds these cars, putting lots of people out of work as well as discontinuing a very popular and profitable car line. This is the type of story you read about years later when people ask “What ever happened to the Ford Motor Company?’

  8. The ORIGINAL Speedy

    real car is dead.

    The unibody dark ages have descended. Somewhere, the ghosts of George W. Mason, George Romney, and Sir Alec Issigonis are cackling with glee.

    But as long as there are Bangshifters who can weld channel iron together, there will always be V8-powered cars with REAL FRAMES and REAR WHEEL DRIVE!

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