Highway Patrol

The police car in the image is a

1961 Plymouth Savoy used by the Chicago Police Department.   Additional trimlines that year included the Belvedere and Fury.

While we don't know what's lurking under the hood Plymouth models were available with a 225 Slant-Six and V8 options like the 318, 361, or 383 cubic inch engines.  These cars typically came with a 3-speed manual or a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, often with push-button controls for the automatic in Plymouths of that era.

Police versions featured a reinforced suspension, heavy-duty brakes (drum brakes were standard), and upgraded cooling systems to handle the demands of patrol work.  Police cruisers had basic interiors with vinyl upholstery and rubber floor mats for easy cleaning.  

This vehicle sports a single dome light and possibly an under-hood siren, like the Federal P-280 pulsator siren used by the Chicago Police Department around that time.

Fun Fact:  Car 54, Where Are You?, the classic American sitcom that aired from 1961 to 1963, featuring the misadventures of two mismatched New York City police officers, Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon. 

The iconic patrol car in the show, Car 54, was primarily a 1961 Plymouth Fury 4-door sedan, though other Plymouth models like the Belvedere and even a 1962 or 1963 Plymouth Savoy were also used during the series' run.

 

One of my all-time favorite childhood shows.....