Weekly Treasure: 2008 Dodge Magnum Cop Car

With the sole exception of the Subaru Outback and efforts made by Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, the mainstream family station wagon is essentially dead in America. Its demise began back in the mid-1980s when the original Chrysler minivans debuted. The rise of crossovers later quashed minivan popularity. But for the 2005 model year, Dodge made a noble attempt at redefining the wagon for a new era, and the Charger-based Magnum was born.

Like the Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans, the Dodge Magnum rode on the LX platform that's still around today (but has been updated since). It quickly won the hearts of many automotive publications and other enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it never gained the mainstream appeal Chrysler was hoping for. Those media outlets and gearheads, however, embraced what Dodge was doing.

The Magnum came with either V6 or V8 power and standard rear-wheel-drive. But the one to get was the SRT-8 and its 6.1-liter Hemi V8 that developed 425 horsepower. It was a true modern muscle car. The other V8 offered was the 5.7-liter Hemi and a still solid 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. One of the Magnum's biggest downsides was its subpar transmission, a five-speed automatic. Even worse, the base model came with a four-speed slushbox.

The interior was also nothing to write home about due to an abundant use of cheap, hard plastics. The Magnum won additional hearts and minds with some of America's finest. Like the Charger sedan, the Magnum became a police car in some parts of the country and, we gotta say, it looks pretty darn sinister, such as this decommissioned example currently up for auction on Cars and Bids.