When I saw the black and white police car in the front room of the auction house, I had a flashback. Not a flashback to reality but a flashback in spirit.
The car reminded me of those 1960s southern police autos and the brutal officers who sicced dogs and firemen who aimed water at child protesters in the Alabama that produced Bull Connor. I’m not sure if I’d ever seen this type of car in photos from the civil rights movement, but it certainly looked the part.
This police car, though, likely did not make it south. As I walked around it, I saw a sticker on the windshield identifying it as part of a “Historic Police Car Honor Guard.” Printed on another sticker was “Delaware State Troopers Association.”
Delaware was not one of the “Deep South” states, but did have its share of segregationist laws and attitudes. In 1957, a Howard Johnson restaurant in Dover refused to seat the then-finance minister of Ghana. President Johnson apologized for the snub.
The car at auction was a 1964 Plymouth Pursuit Special, according to an advertising sheet wrapped in plastic lying on the front seat. It was “specially designed for high speed patrols on freeways, expressways – anywhere that calls for blazing action. Not just spurts of power, but sustained mile in, mile out pursuit.”
Now, though, this car at auction was merely decorative. It had likely been used at some point in honor-guard ceremonies at police funerals and memorial services, in parades and other such occasions.
Police cars seem to be as collectible as many other vintage and antique cars, and sometimes restored just as readily. I found several sites on the web that sold them. One site noted that not a lot of the cars are around because these “workhorses” were abused and not well-maintained. Once retired and largely sold at auctions, some became taxis, while others were bought to be crashed in movies and at stunt events.
Two recently sold on eBay for more than $3,000 each (1967 Plymouth, black & white, no markings), and a Milwaukee police car door sold for $750.
The car at auction appeared to be in great cosmetic condition: The leather seats were intact and not torn, and the dashboard was a little worn but clean. The car may have been restored or treated sweetly. It also had seatbelts, which were optional in cars until the mid-1960s.
I wasn’t around when the auction car was sold but here’s a look at it:
