Police Car: Chevy Bel Air
In 1955, Chevrolet came up with a police cruiser, often known as the Chevy Bel Air. The vehicle was immensely popular in various police departments across the country. In the remaining sections, I will be providing the technical specifications and other amenities of the same car. Although the company is facing turbulent times, it was famous throughout the American law enforcement departments for such contributions. The current proud owners of the car treasure their possession and if you are interested in purchasing one of them from these private collectors, be prepared to shell out considerable figures.
Back in those times, the offenders preferred to roam in "muscle cars" and hence the force was finding it very difficult to keep up with them or subdue them with the existing police cars. The company came up with an ingenious plan and presented a 400-horsepower V8 engine on the Chevy Bel Air. For the very first time, the power from the engine was conveyed to the wheels using a gearbox developed by Hurst Shifters. Gear shifting mechanism is situated at the floor of the car - which was a unique idea back then, when the cars had gears near the steering wheels. It is said that the offenders would give up the chase if a Chevy Bel Air joined the crew because they knew they never had a chance to outrun it.
In order to facilitate the communications, the company included a Motorola Radio in the Chevy Bel Air. The plump "bubble-gum style" red-colored flasher is also legendary in the department. Another innovation present in this Chevrolet cop car was the "whip antenna" - the manufacturer ensured a great deal of care by affixing the antenna at the rearmost part of the car. The drivability was simply perfect. The internal gauges of the car give good readability, even in adverse lighting conditions. According to some of the private collectors, the vehicle never posed any sort of problems when left idle for extended periods! One of the other interesting aspects is the solid paint job - the glossiness is retained in some of the models that are in existence!
One can literally feast on the chrome plated front and rear bumpers of this car. Unlike the modern day police cruisers, the car did not come with an air-conditioner, although heater facilities were included with the Chevy Bel Air. The upholstery still holds on and so does the original carpets. Take a car for a test drive and you are going to envy the personnel who had to spend their entire day doing their duty in such cars.
As mentioned earlier, it is hard to come by the car - in its original form - during these times. The departments have already auctioned the remaining vehicles, and you will never believe that the Chevy Bel Air still have takers for any price demanded from them. Likewise, do not be surprised if you find the internal electrical fittings (which include a light, radio and a clock) in non-working conditions. The Chevy Bel Air is an attention grabber, though.