When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? To many, the options were jobs like being a doctor, veterinarian, and, of course, police officer. While only a handful of adults chose to follow through with the pursuits of that career, it doesn’t mean our love of cop cars with flashy lights and loud sirens went away.
There are tons of movies that feature fast cars and chase scenes, and while soSme of us may be dreaming of sitting behind the wheel of Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds or the Supra from Fast and Furious, there are some famous cop cars we want to take for a joyride, too.
How We Made the Cut
Decades of movies, television shows, and video games have given us quite a selection of famous cop cars, and narrowing down the list was no small feat.
This list was designed to include not only great on-screen cop cars but also feature a few police cruisers that are widely recognized by general moviegoers and enthusiasts, without mentioning any films that were too niche.
Ford Taurus – RoboCop (1987)
While it may not be exciting by today’s performance standards, the Ford Taurus cop car used in the 1987 film RoboCop was a nimble chassis that made it ideal for intense chase scenes. In hot pursuit of Boddicker and his crew as they flee a drug factory in their 6000 SUX (don’t worry, this isn’t a real production SUV, you aren’t missing anything), RoboCop and the Detroit Police Department lay chase in the Ford Taurus cop cars.
It may not be the fanciest, most modern car on the list, nor is it to everyone’s liking, but there are fans of the movie commenting on the IMCDB movie car database that this movie cop car is their favorite.
Dodge Monaco – The Blues Brothers (1980)
Retired cop car turned vehicle of chaos, the Dodge Monaco featured in The Blues Brothers is a pop culture icon we would love to get behind the wheel of. Nicknamed the “Bluesmobile,” it’s known for its feature throughout the movie, but it’s most notable for the high-speed chase through the shopping mall in one scene.
According to Aaron Greenbaum at Slashgear, as many as 13 different cars were used for production of the film, giving us more than a dozen chances to drive one and more if you include replicas that have sold at auction.
Top it all off with a giant loudspeaker mounted to the roof, some black suits, a full tank of gas, a half pack of cigarettes, and some sunglasses to wear at night, and we’re ready to roll!
Pursuit Special (Ford Falcon XB GT) – Mad Max (1979)
On its own, the Ford Falcon is already a cool car, but turn it into a cop car, and we’re all in. In the 1979 post-apocalyptic film Mad Max, Max Rockatansky, the protagonist, drives this modified V8 Interceptor Pursuit Special based on a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe.
Unfortunately for fans, the supercharger that protrudes aggressively from the hood is non-functional, according to Luke Zietsman at HotCars, but we’d drive it even with the 351 Cleveland V8 engine.
Vapid Police Cruiser (Based on the Ford Crown Victoria & Dodge Charger) – Grand Theft Auto
Based on the Ford Crown Victoria and Dodge Charger, which are real-life cars used by the police force, the Vapid Police Cruiser in Grand Theft Auto terrorizes gamers for committing, well, grand theft auto while playing the game. However, that doesn’t mean we aren’t dying to get a chance to drive this video game cop car.
Unfortunately for us, like many video game cars, the Vapid Police Cruiser doesn’t really exist. The only time you’ll get a chance to drive it is in the game — if you can steal it.
Ford Torino – Starsky & Hutch (1975-1979)
Driven by Detective Starsky in Starsky & Hutch, the 1975 Ford Gran Torino finished in red paint with a white vector stripe and Ansen Sprint 5-slot mag wheels, had fans in a chokehold. Does it look like a proper patrol car? No, but who cares?
Alex Goy said in an article for GQ Magazine that the branding of this car was so iconic that Ford themselves produced 1,000 replicas of the Starsky & Hutch Torino, featuring the same red paint with a white stripe for fans of the series to enjoy.
Frank Bullitt’s Ford Mustang — Bullitt (1968)
One of the most famous movie cars of all time, according to Popular Mechanics, is the 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt. Although not a police vehicle in the typical lights and sirens sense, this Mustang was driven by Frank Bullitt, a no-nonsense San Francisco police lieutenant, during his undercover escapades.
After watching the iconic chase scene through the streets of San Francisco with high-speed jumps, tight corners, and plenty of adrenaline, it’s safe to say most fans of the movies would be happy for the chance to drive this special cop car.
Saleen Mustang — Transformers (2007)
Many fans of the Transformers movies loved the protagonist, Bumblebee, but it was one of the villains that caught our eye for this list. “Barricade,” a Decepticon (villain) in the series, is a 2007 Saleen Mustang cop car, and while we don’t want to root for the bad guys, we do want to take this car out for a drive.
Aggressive styling from Saleen combined with the black paint, police livery, and play on words with a twist on the traditional police slogan “Protect and Serve” changed to “To Punish and Enslave,” Barricade was a force to be reckoned with in the movie.
1957 Plymouth Belvedere — The California Kid (1974)
Driven by Sheriff Roy Childress in the 1974 television movie The California Kid, this souped-up 1957 Plymouth Belvedere two-door hardtop features a blue and white paint with police decals on the side, and we’d love to take it on the road — or for a casual police chase.
The Plymouth Belvedere was also a common choice for law enforcement in real life at the time and later models were offered with an official police package.
1968 Dodge Charger — Vanishing Point (1997)
Brett Berk at Car and Driver says in an article that the 1971 film Vanishing Point could be the “ultimate cult classic car-chase movie.” There was also a 1997 remake of the film, starring Viggo Mortensen, and featuring a “deputized” 1968 Dodge Charger. It was used to showcase the rivalry between the Sheriff and Kowalski, the protagonist who drives a Dodge Challenger, in an all-out chase.
The movie gave us the famous line “It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar,” and we can’t decide whether we want to drive the Charger cop car or be on the run in the Challenger. Either way, #MoparOrNoCar.
1983 Dodge Ramcharger — Lone Wolf McQuade
What’s more awesome than a 1983 Dodge Ramcharger cop car? A 1983 Dodge Ramcharger cop car driven by Chuck Norris. This rugged SUV isn’t just cool for the chase scenes in the movie, it’s the only cop car on this list in which the driver is actually buried alive in the vehicle. Scary? Yes, but that’s not enough to stop Chuck Norris!
Built for the off-road and powered by a supercharged 440 big block V8, this Ramcharger cop car lives up to the persona that is Chuck Norris, and we’d love to take it for a spin, whether it’s on or off the road.
Famous Cop Cars on the Streets
While some of these famous cop cars have made their ways into museums, others can be privately purchased, and many have been replicated for fans who, just like us, have always wanted to drive one of their very own. From high-speed chases to cross-country drives, these are just some of the coolest famous cop cars we’d love to take for a spin.
What is your favorite famous cop car? Leave a comment and let us know! Until then, enjoy our carefully curated list featuring popular movies and their cop cars.
