# A police cruiser from 1958 **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2026, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647 "2026-05-11T20:04:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/1 "2026-05-11T20:04:40Z")
_The Police Unity Tour_ passed through my town yesterday, and for the first time, it included a vintage police car. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/b/a/ba383960e39d669e12a664b4ee4c7a57f5de4e7f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/2 "2026-05-11T21:25:08Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > a vintage police car. That photo brought back memories of watching the TV Show, Highway Patrol (1955–1959) it stared Broderick Crawford as the old gruff Chief Dan Mathews. The show was known for its “10-4” catchphrase. ![buick](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/9/495f48718fd2802568f4e08250f2f118f4934e3d.jpeg) But I think they mostly drove Buicks… ![car](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/b/ab9f8e60012f2903847d13686cc54e61fc154430.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/3 "2026-05-11T21:54:07Z")
… and Dodges, plus an Oldsmobile and a Mercury. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/4 "2026-05-12T02:55:59Z")
That '58 was one ugly piece of junk. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/5 "2026-05-12T17:11:36Z")
The 58 Impala had 4 wheel drum brakes wholly inadequate for the weight of the car. They were carried over from the lighter 55 to 57 Chevys while the 58 weighed a couple hundred pounds more. Watching 1950s and early 60s police shows with car scenes, it is shocking how much body roll and brake dive the cars had. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/6 "2026-05-12T18:25:21Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Watching 1950s and early 60s police shows with car scenes, it is shocking how much body roll and brake dive the cars had. +1 I know that GM had “export suspensions” that they made standard equipment on cars that they exported to Europe (possibly to other continents, as well) back in those days, simply because Europeans wouldn’t tolerate the marshmallow suspension that was typical of GM’s cars. It’s very likely that the other US car makers did something similar with their export models. But, even with an “export suspension”, brake dive would probably also be severe, given the geometry of front-end suspensions back in “The Good Old Days”. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/7 "2026-05-12T18:49:17Z")
But @Old-Days-Rick will insist those old cars are better all around ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/8 "2026-05-12T19:10:00Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Watching 1950s and early 60s police shows with car scenes, it is shocking how much body roll and brake dive the cars had. Yeah, and how do they keep the cars from stalling with the extreme nose dive when turning. That has to drain the carburetor. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/9 "2026-05-12T19:12:33Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > Yeah, and how do they keep the cars from stalling with the extreme nose dive when turning. Maybe your cars were different than the ones that I drove back in the '60s, but it seemed that most of the ones that I drove did “stall”–at least occasionally. I haven’t had a car that stalled since the advent of fuel injection. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/10 "2026-05-12T19:36:30Z")
This happened when I drove my mom’s 1964 Cadillac, and only when turning. Odd that it most reliably happened at the end of our street, turning right. While I typically drove that car with two toes through the floorboard, that really wasn’t possible on our short residential road. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/11 "2026-05-12T22:06:11Z")
I think that it is unlikely Hollywood police specials for films. I am not sure when police specials were offered by the Big 3 with heavy duty springs and shocks. Edit: Ford officially started making police specials in 1950 and the other Big 3 started shortly after. Police bought Ford Model Ts, As and the V8 Bs all along but it was set up as a business unit in 1950. ---
**Author:** ![LoudThunder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/loudthunder/32/27769_2.png) [@LoudThunder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LoudThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/12 "2026-05-13T02:29:12Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > I think that it is unlikely Hollywood police specials for films. During the The Andy Griffith Show filming’s, the Sheriff’s Police Cruiser was not a “Police Special” as they were sold to the general public at the end of the season, but Ford and Hollywood got its money’s worth… The Ford Motor Company provided the police cruisers for The Andy Griffith Show (often referred to as Mayberry RFD or Andy of Mayberry) as an official sponsor. A new Ford Galaxie squad car was supplied for free every season, with the old model returned to a local dealer to be sold after the new model arrived. ---
**Author:** ![william969](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@william969](https://community.cartalk.com/u/william969)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/13 "2026-05-14T12:05:36Z")
Those used in police procedurals or other television shows and movies had cars supplied to them by the manufacturer. They were nothing more than stock models painted to appear as police vehicles. Low-cost marketing for the Auto manufacturer and free to the television production company. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/14 "2026-05-14T12:13:27Z")
Yup “Product placement” ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/15 "2026-05-14T14:08:55Z")
One reason why Dodge and Plymouth developed an edge over GM and Ford on fleet sales to law enforcement agencies. You couldn’t beat the combo of torsion bars in front and leaf springs in the rear for control of brake dive and body roll. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/17 "2026-05-14T18:50:24Z")
> [@LoudThunder](#): > > In the 1993, Sylvester Stallone Movie, “Demolition Man” the US Version of the movie had Taco Bell > [@LoudThunder](#): > > However, the European version of the movie featured Pizza Hut It didn’t really matter, because they were both owned by Pepsico at that time. In 1997, they were spun-off (along with KFC) when Tricon Global Restaurants was formed. In 2003, that entity was renamed as “Yum!” corp, and I’ve been a shareholder of Pepsico (and subsequently the others) since 1992, so I’ve witnessed all of their product placement since then. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/a-police-cruiser-from-1958/205647/18 "2026-05-14T19:05:46Z")
That was a TERRIBLE movie, imo