The Bid Blog

Have you ever watched that timeless classic movie the ‘Blues Brothers’? If you have there’s no doubt you’ll remember the scene where Elwood picks up Jake from the prison in a 1974 Dodge black and white police car that Elwood had bought from the Mount Prospect city police auction.

Elwood to Jake: “It’s got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?”

While you may not be looking for the next ‘Bluesmobile’, used police car auctions are a great place to pick up a modern vehicle at a discounted price compared to what it may bring on the dealer lot or even in the paper.

Some people have concerns about buying vehicles used in the police department due to they may be treated very harshly, they may have had several body repairs, and they may have high miles. These concerns are valid but not to all ex-police department vehicles. Some vehicles may have only been used in light duties, general police work and some may even have low-mileage but typically most vehicles would be around the 70,000 mile mark.

But this may not be the case with a police cruiser at auction and every vehicle should be thoroughly checked in its own right. Its worth remembering also that police cruisers especially are not your average showroom floor vehicle, they are generally beefed up with better suspension, improved performance, advanced safety features, high capacity electrical systems and better brakes. Some people report that ex-cruisers are as tough as nails.

Also note that vehicles in the police fleet are replaced at regular intervals and that they are well maintained with all government departments sticking to regular maintenance schedules. Parts used for repairs are generally always genuine factory parts.

Many of the newer vehicles going up for auction, as an example the Ford Crown Victoria commonly used as police interceptors, are flex fuel capable. 

Where are the Used Police Car Auctions?
First stop should be http://www.gov-auctions.org/  also check out http://www.autoauctions.gsa.gov/but also keep a close eye on your local newspaper as some departments hold their own local police car auctions. You may even like to contact your local department but don’t be upset if they give you a short answer as there probably busy fighting crime and have little time to worry about anything else.