Dodge’s Police Vehicles, From 2000 to Today
Though the Dodge Charger’s aggressive styling and powerful performance has over the last several years become emblematic of the protection and service provided by police officers nationwide, the brand’s vehicles had a long road to fashioning one of law enforcement’s go-to rides in the twenty-first century.
Though Dodge’s first post-Y2K foray into Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) vehicles commenced in 2000 with the announcement of the 2000 Dodge Intrepid police package, the actual product didn’t begin appearing on the streets until 2002. When it did finally see the light of the day, the Intrepid only controlled a 4 percent market share with an underwhelming 2,800 units sold.
It wasn’t until 2005 when Dodge stepped back into the squad car game when Mexico City purchased 751 Dodge Neons and then 409 Dodge Stratus models in 2006. According to AllPar, some Northeastern departments were utilizing 2WD Dodge Ram pickups during this time as well. The best was still yet to come.
When the Intrepid was discontinued after the last one was produced on August 28, 2003, its rear wheel drive replacements were more than ready to step in: the 2005 Dodge Magnum and, like the final piece of a puzzle fitting perfectly into place, the 2006 Dodge Charger.
Since 2006, the Dodge Charger has become one of the most popular LEO choices among police departments across the United States, thanks in large part to powerful V6 and V8 engines that give officers the muscle they need to catch anyone so foolish as to try and outrun them. A bit ironic considering that before the Charger’s 2006 re-launch, its most famous incarnation was as a garishly orange muscle car with a Dixie Horn driven by two good ol’ boys who never meant no harm, beat all you ever saw, and were in trouble with the law since the day they was born.
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