A 26-year-old cop car is still catching speeders.
There was a time when Ford didn't only offer the now retired Crown Victoria and its replacement Taurus and Explorer Interceptors to America's police departments. Back in 1982, Ford introduced the Mustang SSP, or Special Service Package. Packing a 5.0-liter V8, this muscle car turned cop car had no problem outgunning speeders.
The whole idea of a Mustang police car actually originated from the California Highway Patrol, who requested a vehicle that was both lightweight and powerful. Ford realized its then Fox body Mustang would be ideal for the task, albeit with several modifications like silicone radiator hoses, stiffer frame and beefier suspension, relocated rear deck release, and a certified speedometer calibration up to 160 mph. No speed limiters were necessary.
The result turned out to be quite popular and numerous law enforcement agencies ordered them, including the FBI, Border Control, and Customs Service. Heck, this thing was so fast the US Air Force used them as chase cars for the U2 spy plane. But you'd think that after 26 years, all of these old Mustang SSPs would be retired, right? Wrong.
The Nebraska State Highway Patrol has just posted a new photo of its Mustang SSP on its Facebook page, proclaiming it's up and running for the summer. Fast drivers on one of the flattest highways in America beware. You probably never expected this thing will pull you over.
"93 Mustang 5.0 is on patrol today. Yes, it runs… Yes, a trooper drives it… Yes, it's in service," the force stated. An accompanying photo shows the Mustang SSP teaming up with a modern day Dodge Charger Pursuit as the pair chased down a speeder in Hyundai Sonata. Neither police car had any problem chasing down the Hyundai. While a vast majority of the 15,000 Mustang SSPs built are retired, many of which are now owned by private collectors (such as the one pictured here that we previously profiled), it's darn cool to see at least one still performing its civic duty.
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