Ford's New Police Interceptor Will Replace Crown Victoria

Ford Motor Co. confirms development of a new Ford Police Interceptor is under way to replace the aging Ford Crown Victoria, scheduled to be phased out in 2011.

The auto maker is mum on details, such as what model the new law-enforcement vehicle will be based on, saying only that it will an “all-new purpose-built” Police Interceptor.

However, earlier media reports indicated Ford was looking to convert its new Taurus fullsize sedan into a police vehicle.

During development of the car, Ford worked with its internal Police Advisory Board on key vehicle attributes, such as safety, performance, durability, driver convenience and comfort.

The new vehicle will be offered without interruption when production of the Crown Victoria, a favorite among law-enforcement agencies, ends.

“We have heard repeated requests from the law-enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law-enforcement community,” Mark Fields, president-The Americas, says in a statement.

“Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor — engineered and built in America,” he adds without revealing where the vehicle will be assembled.

The Crown Victoria is produced at the St Thomas, ON, Canada, assembly plant, which will be shuttered September 2011.

Ford, which controls approximately 75% of the police pursuit-vehicle business in the U.S., says it has invested significantly in designing the new car.

The auto maker plans to reveal the new model and provide full specification in first-quarter 2010, allowing enough time for law-enforcement agencies to develop a transition plan from the Crown Victoria.