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North Carolina State Highway Patrol brings back the Mustang
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol's domain spans nearly 80,000 miles of roadway, and now they have a fleet of new pony cars to help troopers patrol.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) bid farewell to their fleet of Ford Mustangs back in the early 1990s, but now the American pony car is making a comeback. The NCSHP announced it would be putting new Mustangs into service last summer.
Shortly after their announcement, Hurricane Helene threw a wrench into those plans, and forced the NCSHP to divert funds to disaster relief instead. Now the law enforcement body is getting back in gear, starting with putting 25 new Ford Mustangs into service.
The NCSHP’s new fleet is based on the 2024 Ford Mustang GT
The NCSHP bought an undisclosed number of 2024 Ford Mustang GTs last year, but it took some time to get them ready for service. Before hitting the road, the training team had to determine how the cars would behave in the real world. The logistics team also had to get them suited up with the proper police equipment.
The 2024 Ford Mustang GT rolls out with a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. That combination delivers 480 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque that pushes the muscle car to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds. The police-fitted Ford Mustangs also boast a top speed of nearly 170 mph.
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NCSHP previously operated a fleet of the famous Ford Mustang SSP
Before making the switch to a fleet of Dodge Chargers, which are no longer available with a V8 engine, the NCSHP operated a fleet of Mustang SSP pursuit vehicles. The Mustang SSP, or Special Service Package, was made by Ford between 1982 and 1993. The Foxbody Mustang served as the basis for the police package.
The Mustang SSP arrived as a model better suited for pursuits and high-speed chases than the old-but-gold Crown Victoria. The SSP model featured several major changes that Ford worked towards with law enforcement, including a new engine and transmission cooler, revised radiator connections, a heavy-duty front suspension, and reinforced floor pans.
At its peak, more than 60 law enforcement agencies operated a fleet of Ford Mustang SSP muscle cars. In all, more than 15,000 examples of the Mustang SSPs were put into service. That number isn’t surprising, frankly, given that one of the taglines was “This Ford chases Porsches for a living.”
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The old Ford Mustang SSP models are pretty slick, both during their prime and today. One such example was the focus of an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.
North Carolina residents have some concerns about the Ford Mustang fleet
To no one’s surprise, purchasing a fleet of Ford Mustangs was met with criticism from residents. Other law enforcement agencies are working on cutting costs by buying more practical vehicles, like the Ford Explorer. According to the NCSHP, however, the Mustang was around the same cost as the other patrol vehicles in its fleet. Ford
Cost wasn’t the only issue among residents. Some expressed concern regarding how the Mustang, which only comes in rear-wheel drive, will operate in snowy road conditions.
The NCSHP stated upgrading from the old Dodge Chargers to Ford Mustangs is a part of modernizing their fleet. The NCSHP currently employs more than 1,600 troopers who patrol nearly 80,000 miles of North Carolina roadways. That puts them second only to Texas.
Final thoughts
There’s no doubt a Ford Mustang is an asset to any law enforcement agency responsible for patrolling roadways. Considering the NCSHP has a rather large area to cover, it’s hard to argue that modernization via Ford Mustang isn’t justified. Then again, the NCSHP hasn’t disclosed the cost of each Mustang, so perhaps that scrutiny from taxpayers is warranted after all.
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