Holden Unveils Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle In Melbourne

HOLDEN OFFICIALLY unveiled its Statesman-based Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) today at its Port Melbourne headquarters, part of a simultaneous reveal with the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Denver, Colorado.

While its on-paper specs would seem to make it a hot favourite to replace the ageing Ford Crown Victoria in US law-enforcement fleets, a solid export deal has yet to be locked in.

Holden says the Los Angeles Police Department has had its eye on the WM-platformed Caprice for some time, and if the car is selected as the force’s next-generation patrol vehicle, its order could total some 20,000 cars.

But the LAPD likely won’t nominate its choice of patrol car (the Caprice is up against the Chevy Impala, Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger) for a while, and a final decision isn’t expected until sometime next year.

Whether the LAPD’s order-slip asks for a thousand cars or ten thousand cars, Holden isn’t relying on Caprice exports to keep itself afloat.

“At this stage we don’t know how many cars the police will order,” Holden’s Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, John Elsworth said.

“However, we’re certainly not reliant on volume. Export volume is not something we need to make Holden viable.”

The Aussie-built Caprice is still tipped as the frontrunner on the LAPD’s shortlist though. Its more generous interior space, bigger rear door opening and powerful RWD platform give it a definite edge over the FWD Taurus and the cramped Dodge Charger.

The shorter-wheelbase VE is also being proposed as a police vehicle in the USA, but most potential customers have indicated that the larger WM Caprice is more to their liking.

“They’ve asked for the bigger car,” Elsworth said.

If selected by the LAPD, Holden is confident other police departments will follow suit.

The potential export market for the Caprice numbers some 70,000 cars in the USA alone, and law enforcement agencies in Canada and the UK have also signaled their interest in a VE/WM platform patrol vehicle.

The Caprice PPV isn’t just solely targeted towards police buyers. Elsworth says GM is pitching the vehicle at all emergency services, including some Federal departments.

The current Ford Crown Victoria does double-duty in police and taxi fleets across the country, but GM has yet to push the Caprice towards taxi operators.

Holden says there’s definitely no plan to sell the Caprice to private US buyers, but with used Crown Vics popular as second-hand cars, ex-police Caprices will find their way into private hands within the first half of next decade.

If the LAPD gives the Caprice the nod, Holden won’t be the only Australian company to benefit from the export deal. Melbourne company National Safety Agency has been shopping its suite of integrated on-board vehicle systems to US police departments, and has collaborated with Holden to put its VE-based prototype together.

Featuring an upgraded power supply, the NSA-developed car boasts a comprehensive array of electronics designed to aid in law enforcement. Radios, computers, infra-red nightvision cameras, fingerprint readers and wireless connectivity are all tied into a console-mounted touchscreen display.

NSA’s car also features a sturdy partition behind the front seats, which also incorporates weapons stowage between the driver and front passenger.

The partition doesn’t compromise crash safety either, as the VE’s curtain airbag system has been modified to work around the bulkhead.

Neither the LAPD nor any other US law enforcement agency has voiced a commitment to buying the Chevy Caprice PPV just yet, but Holden is optimistic that demand for the car will be strong.

If given the go-ahead, production can start as early as next year, with a Stateside roll-out commencing in 2011.