Ford · automobile platform · 1992–2011

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (colloquially referred to as the CVPI, P71, or P7B, or Crown Vic) is a four-door, body-on-frame sedan that was manufactured by Ford from 1992 to 2011. It is the police car version of the Ford Crown Victoria and was the first vehicle to use the Ford Police Interceptor name. From 1997 to 2013, the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was the most widely used automobile in law enforcement fleets in North America, namely the United States, Canada and Mexico. It also saw use on a smaller scale with police forces in other regions, primarily in Europe and the Middle East.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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History

After the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Caprice, the Ford Motor Company held a near-monopoly on the market for police vehicles in the United States and Canada for over a decade. The conventional rear-wheel drive, V8 power, and body-on-frame construction were considered advantageous for police use. The body-on-frame construction allowed inexpensive repairs after collisions without the need to straighten the chassis. Rear-wheel drive was deemed better for hard maneuvers and more robust than the front-wheel-drive competition for rough driving over curbs and other obstacles in the urban environment. Although CVPIs were not sold directly to the general public by the manufacturer, they were widely available in North America as used vehicles after being decommissioned. The cars were in demand by taxi companies and others who wanted a safe, durable, and/or inexpensive car, and those who needed a car with a large back seat. The CVPI came equipped with many heavy-duty parts, such as a revised transmission, and a 186 kW (253 PS; 249 hp) engine. Used versions are normally stripped of any police decals, equipment, police radios, and emergency lights before being sold or auctioned to the public.

First generation (1992–1997)

Though the name has been officially in use since 1992, the 1979–1991 full-sized LTDs and LTD Crown Victorias used the "P72" production code designation for both fleet and taxi and police models, with the model itself being internally classified as S (similar to LX). From 1992 to 1997, the police car models of the Crown Victoria (both base and LX trims) were officially known as Crown Victoria P71s. The first force to take delivery of Crown Victoria P71s was the London Police Service of London, Ontario in Canada, ordering 21 for delivery during February 1992; the first Crown Victoria from this order was driven off the St Thomas production line by London police chief Julian Fantino. In the 1993 model year, the Crown Victoria was given a chrome front grille and a reflector strip between the taillights. Another minor restyle followed suit in 1995, with a new grille and taillights. To accommodate the design of the 1995 model's new taillights, the rear license plate was moved from the bumper to the trunk lid. For 1996, the Crown Victoria badge on the front fenders was removed and the cars received a new steering wheel; 1997 models have a lighter blue interior color compared to prior years.

Second generation (1998–2011)

=== 1998 === For the 1998 model year, the Ford Motor Company restyled the Crown Victoria, eliminating the "aero" look that the first-generation Crown Victoria had from 1992 to 1997, adopting the more conservative styling of the Mercury Grand Marquis. Both cars included restyled front and rear end components. The 1998 police package P71 had a chrome grille, chrome door handle trim, chrome bumper strips, and a chrome-trimmed flat-black rear fascia with the "Crown Victoria" badge. 1999. In 1999, Ford introduced the "Crown Victoria Police Interceptor" name, with a badge on the trunk lid replacing the 1998 "Crown Victoria" badge (Though very early 1999 models still retained the "Crown Victoria" badging). A chrome-trimmed gloss-black rear fascia, black door-handle trim, black bumper strips, and a gloss-black slatted grille were also introduced at this time. Finally, the new Street Appearance Package (SAP), intended to make the CVPI look like a standard (P73) model, including chrome trimming and Crown Victoria badging, was introduced. Midway through 1999, the taillights were also changed; 1998 and early 1999 models had a separate amber turn signal along the bottom edge of each taillight housing. Starting in mid-1999, the extra bulbs were eliminated and the turn signals returned to the combination of stop/turn setup with red lenses found in many North American cars. Although the lenses changed, the housings did not. They still had the chambers for the separate turn signals that early models had. These chambers were now empty, leaving a perfect place to install in police cars strobe tubes that would not affect brake or turn-signal visibility. Fleet models equipped with the "Street Appearance Package" retained the amber turn signal until 2004, when all CVs changed to all-red tail

Comparison with standard Crown Victoria

Both cars use the same 4.6 L 2V SOHC V8 (both Flex Fuel starting in 2008), Ford modular engine, and Ford four-speed automatic transmission. However, a few notable differences exist between the CVPI and a standard Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis. Engine and drive train. All CVPIs are equipped with a larger capacity radiator along with external power steering, transmission, and engine oil cooler to reduce engine oil temperatures. This allows the vehicles to operate at high rpm/high loads for an extended period of time without the risk of engine oil overheating and subsequent engine damage. The engine oil cooler can be prone to seeping oil from the O-ring seals after the high-mileage operation encountered by CVPIs, particularly where damaged by road salt. The Police Interceptor engine calibration includes a slightly higher idle speed (by around 40 rpm) and minor changes in the emissions settings. The computer is tuned for more aggressive transmission shift points, and the transmission itself uses a smaller heavy-duty 11.25" (1999–2011) torque converter compared to the 12" torque converter on a standard Crown Victoria. The EGR system is controlled differently on '03 and older vehicles than on non-police vehicles. The 2004–2011 Police Interceptors are equipped standard with an open 3.27:1 rear axle (axle code Z5), with a traction-lock (Trac-Lok) 3.27:1 rear axle (axle code X5) optional, and are electronically limited to 129 mph (208 km/h) due to critical drive-line speed limitations. An optional 3.55:1 traction-lock rear axle ratio with 119 mph speed limiter was also available from 2004 to 2011 (axle code C6). The 1999-mid 2001 CVPIs were equipped with a standard 3.55:1 rear axle ratio and were limited to about 124 mph (200 km/h). This compares to the standard non-P71 2.73 r

Problems and criticism

=== Rear-end collision fires === Following the criticism of fires following highway-speed rear-end collisions, 2005 and later model CVPIs had an optional automatic fire suppression system and special "trunk packs" designed to prevent cargo from penetrating the fuel tank in a collision. Customers had to pay an additional $150 (equivalent to $247 in 2025) per car for the trunk packs. Wheels. Some problems arose with early 2003 CVPIs; the newly designed steel wheels rusted prematurely, and the rack and pinion steering units failed as early as 10,000 miles. This was not limited to the CVPI; some 2004 Mercury Marauders were also affected. A recall, initiated on March 1, 2007 (07S48), affected the steel wheels used on 2003–2005 CVPIs. Another issue with the wheels have been weld points that come loose, causing rapid air loss in tires and the potential for loss of control. A recall was issued after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, the company has created anger among civilian owners of 2003+ Police Interceptors by refusing to honor the recall unless the vehicle is still being used in fleet service. The only way this problem could be addressed was if a civilian customer complained to a dealership about air leakage problems, an inability to balance the wheels properly, or a "nibble" or excessive vibration in the steering at speed. The issue was then addressed through the "Customer Satisfaction Program" that Ford initiated for the wheels. Ford ultimately resolved this issue on production cars in 2006 by introducing new 17-in steel wheels for their heavy-duty models. Intake manifold. A common failure point on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was the intake manifold. Beginning in 1996, Ford used a plastic intake manifold manufactu

Discontinuation

In April 2011, Ford stopped accepting orders for the CVPI. Following the 2011 model year, due to its lack of electronic stability control, the Crown Victoria was no longer legal for sale in the United States and Canada; a short 2012 model year was produced solely for GCC/Middle East export. The last Crown Victoria Police Interceptor rolled off the assembly line in August 2011 and was sold to the Kansas Highway Patrol as part of a batch of 14 CVPIs. The vehicle now resides in the agency's academy as a museum piece. This was followed by the final Crown Victoria to ever be produced on September 15, 2011, which was exported to Saudi Arabia. It was the very last vehicle to be produced at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant before its closure. As CVPIs continue to be decommissioned across the United States, a significant number have gone on to be purchased by civilian owners. Some have also been preserved in museums in the United States and overseas. Successor. On March 12, 2010, Ford Motor Company unveiled the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan. While sharing a nameplate with the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, the Police Interceptor Sedan was a variant of the sixth-generation Ford Taurus, shifting from the long-running Panther chassis to an all-wheel drive version of the D3 architecture. In a design decision, the Police Interceptor Sedan did not adopt the Taurus nameplate, as it was sold alongside the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, derived from the Ford Explorer. Along with heavier-duty components and a redesigned interior, the Police Interceptor Sedan adopted higher-performance steering and suspension tuning. The standard engine was a 3.5 L V6, but a 3.7 L V6 (shared with the Mustang) later became the standard power plant. A twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 (shared with the Taurus

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Specifications

name: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, (CVPI)
aka: Ford Crown Victoria P71 (1998–2009), Ford Crown Victoria P7B (2010–2011)
Successor: Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, Ford Police Interceptor Utility
Manufacturer: Ford
Production: 1992–2011
Assembly: Canada: Talbotville, Southwold, Ontario, (St. Thomas Assembly)
Class: Full-size car, Police car
Body style: 4-door sedan
Platform: Panther
Layout: FR layout