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Ford may nab Holden cop car job

  • By Neil McDonald
  • Herald Sun
  • 29 April 2010
  • image

    Ford's purpose-built crime-fighting vehicle - the 'black and white' Police Interceptor.

This car could arrest GM-Holden's export bid for an Adelaide-built US police cruiser.

Based on the Taurus sedan, Ford's purpose-built 'black and white' Police Interceptor is designed as a pursuit car with a powerful twin-turbo V6 engine and high-performance brakes.

Ford unveiled its high-tech, high performance answer to GM-Holden's Statesman-based police car at a fleet management conference in Detroit. The cabin is designed to withstand high-speed crashes and boasts the latest crime fighting technology.

Both US car giants are vying for a slice of the lucrative law enforcement market in North America. The popular Ford Crown Victoria sedan favoured by most police will be phased out at the end of next year.

"Police nationwide asked for a new kind of weapon in the battle for public safety, and Ford is answering the call with a purpose-built vehicle - engineered and built in America," Ford president of the Americas, Mark Fields, says.

Field's 'buy American' push could strike a cord with US law enforcement agencies. He says the company remains committed to leading the police vehicle market. At present about 70 per cent of North American enforcement agencies use the Crown Victoria. Ford sells about 45,000 a year to police fleets.

US law enforcement agencies are set to put out tenders for a replacement later this year. Ford and General Motors are among several companies angling for the lucrative business. GM-Holden's new chairman and managing director, Mike Devereux, says Holden is still in the race to develop a Chevrolet-based police cruiser for North America.

"Whether we're looking at Chevrolet Caprice police program or whether its exports to Brazil or the Middle East, we will take advantage of any export opportunities we have," he says. GM-Holden joined forces with the National Safety Agency last year to show off a kitted out Caprice to the Los Angeles police department. The car was shown at a crime conference in Denver in October, sparking interest not only in the US but also Canada and the UK.

Up to 40,000 Holden police cars could be exported to the US every year.

Ford's Police Interceptor goes into production later this year. The twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 is more powerful than the current 4.6-litre V8 used in the Crown Victoria. The V6 develops 272kW/495Nm mated to a six-speed automatic and either front or all-wheel drive.

Comments on this story

Displaying 3 of 24 comments

  • Sorry to disappoint you Glenn, but Holden outselling Ford doesn't necessarily mean their cars are better, just cheaper. As history has shown us, government and big business will always take the cheaper side, not the more expensive/reliable side. Ford also often outperforms Holden at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide each year and has taken a majority of the wins. I'm not saying Holden or GM as a whole makes lower quality cars, or that either comany is better, I'm just saying that calling someone desperate is hardly a good move when all your points are just plain wrong. **FYI You are correct about Commodore outselling Falcon, but that is not due to a lack of quality on Ford's part, it is a lower price on Holden's.

    Toman Cvarkov of Frequently between Moscow and Adelaide Posted on 16 March 2011 3:06pm

  • Phil C - Commodore has been outselling Falcon for so many years now it?s hardly worth going back that far to see when it started. Holden have shown far more initiative in developing themselves through exporting. They have dominated Ford (who abandon their teams) on track for countless years. You must surely be one of those diehard/desperate Ford fans ?

    Glenn of Sydney Posted on 10 December 2010 1:42pm

  • Caprice would be better suited. Simpler. Bigger. That Taurus looks off.

    Stefo of Sydney Posted on 17 July 2010 10:13am

  • have to disagree on the mustang the falcon is a better car

    jason of melb Posted on 31 May 2010 3:05pm

  • Richard, you're right, you did get a response, why would we want the Crown Vic (I must admit I do love the Crown Vic) they are a big under powered yank tank (only 250hp). To suggest that Ford Oz bring the tooling here is just insane... Ford Oz build better cars than the yanks, (Mustang not included), if Ford Oz did a left hook Falcon and Ford US came to the party, then you would see the Falcon being used as the number 1 choice as the yanky cop car.

    Wazza of South Australia Posted on 26 May 2010 12:00am

  • If Ford Australia get rid of the Falcon the can make the Crown Victoria here, and of course the Mercury Grand Marquis as well. Just bring the tooling over (bet this gets a response). More to the point, how about bringing all the new Ford Hybrids down under that are running around in the USA, and their non hybrid versions. Fusion won car of the year.

    Richard Ward of Sydney Posted on 25 May 2010 1:21am

  • This is surely a distraction. It was news 2 months ago. I guess they need a negative Ford article after Ford Australia posted a $13m profit in Australia whilst GMHolden followed their bankrupt parent and made their fifth consecutive loss, which was $210m in 2009. Ford Australia sold more locally built vehicles in April 2010 than either GMHolden or Toyota. Fact is that they are doing very nicely on lower overall volumes, whilst GMH is geared for much higher production and working half shifts. FG Falcon sedan now regularly outsells VE sedan too. I want the Australian auto industry to do well, but this article is just nonsense.

    Phil C of Newcastle Posted on 07 May 2010 9:58pm

  • Holdenmad ? the fact is the US government is patriotic and will always choose US made over imports if they are both similar. Our government should be patriotic too but isn?t always. I didn?t read anywhere that they need to be replaced yesterday!!! The Crown ?will be phased out at the end of next year?. ?US law enforcement agencies are set to put out tenders for a replacement later this year? - which means later this year they will ask for tenders for a replacement vehicle. Tenders take awhile for approval through all the governments? red tape. Also our governments use about 80% Aussie cars not 40% (eg Police forces around Australia are 90% Commodores & Falcons, politicians limos are Fairlanes & Statesmans etc).

    Jimmy Posted on 04 May 2010 4:14pm

  • why a small car, the stateman is a large one, just put the blower on the GM.

    sean of Sydney Gods Country Posted on 04 May 2010 3:45pm

  • This "news" is about 2 months old now. @ jason of melb: The AWD would be handy over there in the snow, not something our cops need to worry about much. The still use the Crown Vics because they are tough and easy to repair (many police departments have their own repair shops to do so apparently). The legacy thing also counts - all their equipment already fits nicely - the reason Ford changed the Taurus interior in this so they could move current equipment straight over

    Matt of Newcastle Posted on 04 May 2010 2:27pm

  • sorry my bad monaro not manaro. Jimmy if all you have to say is point out spelling mistakes, get a life

    Holden mad of Brighton Vic Posted on 04 May 2010 9:26am

  • you mean Monaro yeah?

    jimmy Posted on 03 May 2010 5:53pm

  • Australian built cars are subsidised by state and federal goverments, why should we pay to supply the yanks with cars, we send our soldiers to help them, isn't that enough.

    marc of victoria Posted on 03 May 2010 4:50pm

  • Sorry guys, the fact is the police cars need to be replaced yesterday. The fact is the Holden built cop car can get to them by the end of the year, and the Crown will not be avail until 2012. Yeah it might suit North America better with the snow, but the rest of America will benifit for our version. It wouldn't take much to make an AWD. We already have the technology (Manaro). And it's not about who builds the fastest car, they have purpose built highway patol cars that are much better than the standard cop cars. The government don't care about where the car comes from, look at our government. About 40% only drive Australian built cars. That's why Mark Reuss former MD had a go at our government. I'm with you GP.

    Holden mad of Brighton Vic Posted on 03 May 2010 10:36am

  • Bad luck Holden......the US Gov will make sure the replacement car will be a made in the US of A vehicle. And why not? It should be made there so it keeps a few more people in jobs.

    Rick Harris of Australia Posted on 02 May 2010 9:46pm

  • It is a shame that Ford Australia hasn't pushed harder to get the Ford Falcon (rear wheel drive) into the American market as a replacement for the Crown Vic. We have the XR6 Turbo and FPV which pump out 270kw & 310kw respectively which are more powerful (Crown Vic 186kw). I believe they were driving a Falcon mule in the US a few years ago, but with the "buy American" push as suggested, Falcon won't see the light of day. One issue I also believe previously was the shape/layout of the centre console, being right hand drive biased, not sure if that has been changed for a more central position. The opportunity could have also gained a possible market through Middle East as the Statesman, Caprice and Commodore have been successfully exported there by Holden. Why the Falcon hasn't been exported to other right hand drive countries is another question. I want the Falcon to succeed and continue. Come on the Blue Oval.

    Anto of Australia Posted on 01 May 2010 2:07pm

  • The cops like RWD. That's why they've stuck with the ancient Crown Vic. Come on Aussies... Why would the AWD be good? They tend to understeer and this would be front wheel drive with rear wheel assist and a turbo 6. This can only lead to more understeer.

    jason of melb Posted on 01 May 2010 10:56am

  • The yanks will stick with their own (Ford) I reckon.

    Wazza of South Aust Posted on 30 April 2010 11:34pm

  • Fingers crossed, the American car gets through.

    Steve Posted on 30 April 2010 10:05pm

  • Let's hope our big boy gets a Visa soon, but don't let their Ricer replace our iconic Falcon.

    Shak Posted on 30 April 2010 9:57pm

  • I think the auto union in the US would be pushing for the Ford to take the job. Nothing wrong with that for we wouldn't take GM's USA built police cars here! Would we? I think Commodore is looking out-dated a bit now and they don't have all wheel drive like the Ford!

    Josh of melbourne Posted on 30 April 2010 8:38pm

  • Another negative headline from another negative journalist. If you want Australian built cars to fail, especially from GM and Ford, then go get a job elsewhere. You don't deserve to write on the motor industry.

    GP of Melbourne Posted on 30 April 2010 7:52pm

  • fingers crossed, the aussie car gets through.

    Dave Posted on 30 April 2010 11:13am

  • Sounds like a good machine... the AWD version would be great in car chases etc.

    shaun Posted on 30 April 2010 8:11am
Read all 24 comments

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