Holden cop car prowls LA

GENERAL Motors executive director of North American exterior design Michael Simcoe says he is confident that demand will keep Holden busy keeping up with orders from American police forces for its recently unveiled Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV).

Speaking to the Australian media at the LA Auto Show last week, the former Holden design director said tens of thousands of orders were possible for the Caprice PPV from 2011 and production of the Ford Crown Victoria ceases.

This is despite the fact that Ford has already announced plans to aggressively hold on to its 75 per cent share of the 60,000-strong police car market in the US.

“The vehicle has been shown and there is a lot of interest,” Mr Simcoe said.

“It was shown at a very big rally and they had about 150 police departments there. I don't know how many people drove the car but there were a lot of them.” Mr Simcoe said only GM had the right formula for the PPV market.

“A reasonably priced, large rear-wheel drive car – there aren’t too many,” he said.

“(So when the Crown Victoria production ceases in 2011) they (Ford) may not have a (suitable) alternative.

Asked how many Caprice PPVs Holden intends to build, Mr Simcoe was reluctant to divulge any firm numbers.

“It could be in the tens of thousands,” he said.