CARS SHOWROOM: Ford Crown Victoria

hough the Ford Crown Victoria had a great run with consumers, the manufacturer has recently opted to only sell the vehicle as part of fleets for law enforcement, government offices and select others. When the Crown Victoria first made headlines in 1995, it was a 6-passenger hardtop with a stainless steel band along the waistline. However, the model only made it two years and wasn't brought back until 1980 as a trim level for the LTD car. In 1983, Ford rebadged the LTD lineup and called it the LTD Crown Victoria.
As the LTD Crown Victoria gained popularity, Ford opted to completely do away with the LTD prefix and began calling the sedan the Crown Victoria. In 1992, the Crown Victoria received an overhaul and got a curved body style with six windows and a 4.6L modular engine. In the late 90s law enforcement started taking notice of the vehicle for both its adaptability to police needs and exceptional power. Law enforcement agencies across the country started stocking their fleets with the "Crown Vics," and taxicab services took the same route. When the modular V8 engine was introduced in 1999, heads of state also started adding the sedan to their cavalcades.
Over the years, the body style has undergone only minor changes, like different headlamps and a new front grille. When the millennial model years rolled around, less and less law enforcement were using the outdated vehicle. Poor gas mileage and an overall lack of new additions were pushing agencies to switch over to Dodge Chargers and other police-adaptable models. In the 2008 model year, Ford announced that they would no longer sell the Crown Victoria at the consumer level and would only manufacture it for fleet use. However, rumors abound that the Crown Victoria is going to be phased out of the fleet industry as well. With so few agencies seeking new Crown Victorias, Ford may start developing a brand new sedan for law enforcement use.

The Mercury Grand Marquis has taken over the Crown Victoria's place as the manufacturer's full-size sedan; however, even sales of the Grand Marquis are on a steady decline. So, according to reviewers, Ford may need to scrap that model too and simply start fresh. Though most cab companies are still using the Crown Victoria in their fleets, some are starting to notice the economical benefits of switching over to other, more fuel efficient models.