Oct 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 10

DODGE & PLYMOUTH 1966

DODGE & PLYMOUTH 1966 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERES The Plymouth Belvederes were deployed particularly by the LAPD and New York Police Department from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. Powered by a V8 engine, the Belvedere police pursuit vehicles were surprisingly very affordable. The standard option for the 1966 Belvedere Police package was a 383-cubic-inch V8, with an output of 330 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. The V8 is bolted to a 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission. 94 The BLUES 1975-78 PLYMOUTH FURY A38 PURSUIT Some of the most famous classic American cars have been used by law enforcement, and one such is the Plymouth Fury. Plymouth offered the A38 Police Pursuit Package on the seventh generation Fury, running from 1975 to 1978. Plymouth beefed up the otherwise sedated 218-inch-long Fury with heavy-duty tuned suspensions, 7-inch-wide heavy-duty wheels, and fabric-belted radial police pursuit tires. The interior of the Fury A38 Pursuit was furnished with bench seats fitted in heavy-duty cloth/vinyl upholstery combinations. The Fury A38 Pursuit used mainly by the Virginia State Police was wrapped in silver and blue with a red beacon on the roof.

1974 DODGE MONACO The Dodge Monaco, as well as the Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Fury ,were built on the same body and chassis and the only significant visual difference between them was the grille. The 1974 Dodge Monaco Police Pursuit was powered by a 440-cubic-inch Magnum engine and used by the New York State Police. Car chase movie lovers would find it interesting to know that a 1974 Dodge Monaco patrol car and 12 other cars were used in the 1980 American musical comedy film, The Blues Brothers. 1977-1988 DODGE DIPLOMAT POLICE PACKAGE Dodge produced the Diplomat from 1977 to 1989, and it initially shared design elements with the Chrysler LeBaron. For power generation, Dodge offered either a 1bbl or 2bbl 225 slant six, or the 2-bbl 318 V8 engines. It wasn’t until 1981 before Dodge introduced the Police Package Diplomats, and they had the fiery 4bbl 360 V8 engine and a 727 Torqueflite three-speed transmission. That being said, many police agencies still relied upon the Diplomat 318 V8 engine because of its proven capability. The BLUES 95