The Only One Left in Existence: 1971 Mercury Monterey Patrol Car

As the year draws to a close, a new year begins; as the new year approaches, the automotive show circuit draws closer and closer. For blue-collar enthusiasts such as myself, the show circuit typically consists of local shows and cruise nights, but nonetheless some collectors (yours truly included) try their best to stand out from the sea of typical collector cars, trucks and motorcycles that tend to dominate the show scene. A great vehicle to stand out in any car show is this 1971 Mercury Monterey Patrol Car, believed to be the last one in existence. Find it here at Frankman Motor Company Classics in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with an asking price of $14,975.

Essentially Mercury's version of Ford's full-size Galaxie, the Monterey was given a mild restyle in 1971 to better compete against GM's redesigned full-size models. Most noticeable in the redesign were details that included flip-handle door openers, beaked grilles, and frameless side windows on all four-door sedan models, making for an overall flowing, rounded look. This Monterey four-door hardtop sedan is a former Indiana State Police patrol car, and is one of 564 police cars built by Mercury from 1967 to 1974. Believed to be the only remaining patrol car built by Mercury left in existence from that period, this Monterey patrol car was bought new by the State of Indiana in 1971. After being fitted with the proper equipment, this patrol car was first assigned to Sgt. Claude Trent of District 41 (in Connersville, Indiana), as car 5141. Car 5141 was subsequently used by Sgt. Trent and a rookie trooper named Miller for 25,000 miles. The patrol car was then reassigned to a trooper named James White, who used the car until 1972; the car was subsequently sold at auction for $980 to a private individual.

After fifteen years of ownership, car 5141 was sold to Trooper Miller, who unbeknownst had bought the car he had once patrolled in as a rookie. After a nasty car accident later on that year, Miller donated the car to Indiana's State Police museum, where the car sat for nearly two decades, unrestored. Nineteen years later, in 2006, the car was given back to Miller, who then proceeded to restore the car to its former glory. One year later, the car's restoration was completed, and was recently acquired by Frankman Motor Company Classics. Though its restoration is now nearly twelve years old, the car appears to have aged nicely, and looks fantastic in white with proper Indiana State Police identification, roof-mounted bubble light, and giant rear antenna. Steel wheels with full disc hubcaps and blackwall tires looks stealthy, and though I myself am a diehard GM and Mopar fan, the more I look at pictures of this car, the more I am drawn to its lines. This patrol car would be a crowd pleaser at any car show field.

As per its police package, car 5141 is fitted with a big-block 429 Police Interceptor V8. Rated at 360 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, the 429 Police Interceptor V8 was the same engine used by civilian Monterey models, but featured police-specific heavy-duty equipment. Backed by a three-speed Select-Shift automatic transmission, top speed was listed at around 132 mph, which is certainly speedy considering a civilian-spec Monterey with the big-block 429 tipped the scales at 4,369 pounds. Much like the exterior, the 429 Police Interceptor V8 presents very well, and looks to be rarin' to go. I would love to open this car up on a straight, long, desolate road to see if that 132 mph top-speed rating is accurate.

As I've often said, each classic vehicle is not without its flaws. Inside of car 5141, the interior appears to be fairly original, but with a few (albeit easily-correctable) flaws. The front bench seat has some minor rips and tears on the driver's-side, and there are a few cheap aftermarket gauges mounted underneath the dash. The headliner also appears to be falling down a bit in the driver's-side rear passenger area, and the front floor mats look to be cheap aftermarket items. Unfortunately, the majority of the pictures of the interior are blurry, and certain things of interest (such as the car's mileage) cannot be viewed clearly. Otherwise, the rest of the interior looks nice and original, and I dig the original police equipment and binder full of documentation that provides an in-depth look at car 5141 over its 46-year existence. I definitely dig the blue cloth-and-vinyl interior parts, which reminds me of my dad's 1994 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1, a former Bedminster, Pennsylvania patrol car. I would recover the front seat in its proper upholstery, ditch the generic floor mats and source more correct-looking ones, ditch the under-dash mounted gauges, and try to locate a correct Indiana State Police uniform to dress the part while showing this car.  Overall, this Mercury Monterey patrol car is a nice driving piece of history that needs only minor addressing, and once all of the necessary areas are addressed, should make for a stand-out at any classic car show or cruise night. What are your thoughts on this rare, ex-Indiana State Police patrol car?