What kind of cars did police drive in the 80s?
History of Police Squad Cars
1980's
1980 Dodge Aspen.
1981 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon.
1981 Dodge Diplomat.
1982 Dodge Diplomat.
1986 Dodge Diplomat.
1988 - 1990 Chevy Caprice. Officers in the late 1980's were driving Chevy Caprice squad cars
Over the past century, LAPD motors have used a variety of motorcycle manufacturers such as Indian, Thor, Excelsior-Henderson, Harley-Davidson, Moto Guzzi, Honda, Kawasaki, and BMW. Currently, over 80 percent of the motor fleet is comprised of Harley-Davidson Electra Glides. Since those early years, the motorcycle program has evolved beyond mere traffic enforcement. The LAPD currently has 304 men and women assigned to the LAPD’s motorcycle force: one motor lieutenant, 32 motor sergeants, 259 motor officers and 12 motor reserve officers (part-time).
The LAPD operates a wide variety of police cars, primarily the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and Dodge Charger, with limited numbers of the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, among an assortment of other models. Police motorcycles are primarily the BMW R1200RT-P and Harley-Davidson FLHP. The LAPD SWAT's primary vehicle is the Lenco BearCat.
In the early 1980s, the LAPD obtained two Cadillac Gage Commandos from the U.S. Department of Energy, in preparation for security for the city's hosting of the 1984 Summer Olympics. They were used as battering rams to breach structures and buildings inhabited by hostile occupants. They saw action in the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, but have since been retired