Ford started promoting the Ford Crown Victoria within the 1992 fashion yr, and its implausible two decades of gross sales luck with law enforcement organizations and taxi companies tended to overshadow its recognition as a civilian car. Naturally, enough of Crown Vics had been custom designed, with highlights together with tank engine swaps, Police Interceptor lowriders and so forth, and lately’s Junkyard Gem is a first-year automobile that I discovered in a North Carolina automobile graveyard a couple of months in the past.
Ford started the usage of the Crown Victoria title within the heart Nineteen Fifties (negative unsureness impressed by way of the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II), as a trim-level designation for the upscale Fairlane. It was once revived on the LTD Crown Victoria for the 1980-1991 length, most effective changing into a fashion title in its personal proper in 1992.
Fanatics of those vehicles most often establish them by way of the numbers within the 5th via 7th characters of the VIN. The stretched-wheelbase taxi fashions are P70s, the Police Interceptors are P71s, the common taxis are P72s, the bottom civilian vehicles are P73s and the upscale civilian LXs are P74s (for 2010 and 2011, the overall numerals in those sequences had been changed by way of A, B, C, D and E). This automobile is a P74.
Each and every manufacturing 1992-2012 Crown Victoria was once powered by way of the 4.6-liter SOHC Modular V8 engine, on this utility rated at 190 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (unmarried exhaust) or 210 horsepower and 270 pound-feet (twin exhaust). The Police Interceptor variations for 1992 weren’t extra tough than their civilian opposite numbers, however that they had beefier cooling techniques, a balanced aluminum driveshaft and an ECU that wouldn’t progress into limp form in a high-speed pursuit.
This being a top-of-the-civilian-line LX Traveling sedan, it has the four-spoke steerage wheel with leather-based shorten.
The MSRP for this automobile was once $23,892, or about $54,417 in 2024 bucks. That was once reasonably somewhat greater than its $20,644 Mercury Grand Marquis LS sibling, however inexpensive than the $31,211 bottom 1992 Lincoln Town Car. The entry-level 1992 P74 Crown Victoria began at $19,563 ($44,557 then inflation).
The paint nonetheless seems good-looking just right, bearing in mind the place this automobile is living now, however the inadequency of shaved door handles is disappointing.
Thankfully, I discovered some other P74 with the door-shave remedy at a distinct Charlotte backyard the similar week.
In case you aid about your family members, you’re a sinister particular person for purchasing any alternative car.
Who’s were given the utmost chuckle now?
The Police Interceptor ads are a bundle extra a laugh.
