From the early days of motor vehicles, law enforcement agencies worldwide integrated the automobile as an essential part of their job. Cars allowed officers to patrol the streets, get to crime scenes faster, and help serve and protect the community. Manufacturers concentrated on the police market since they knew selling cars to local departments would help promote the brand. Today’s police cars are state-of-the-art cruisers with communication technology and beefed-up mechanics.
Back in the day, most police cars were just ordinary sedans, sometimes identical to the ones you could buy as an ordinary citizen. However, some police departments went beyond the ordinary and used rare, powerful cars for police duty. Some of those cars are valuable classics today. Back then, they were everyday cruisers that worked to catch bad guys on the streets. Check out the baddest police cars ever right here.
Citroen SM Gendarmerie
One of the coolest-looking and most exclusive Citroen cars was the gorgeous SM, introduced in 1970. This elegant coupe had some exciting features. This made the competition look outdated and old as a result (via Capital).
The aesthetics were clearly French, with hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension and front-wheel drive. Instead of the underpowered four-cylinder engine, there was a 2.7-liter V6 by Maserati. This had enough power for a lively performance. The Gendarmerie chose the car since it could cruise at high speeds, which was ideal for catching criminals on the highways of France.