When it comes to desirable Fox body Mustangs, the Special Service Package (SSP) cars are right up there with Saleens and Cobras. Only issue is finding one, really, as they were produced in limited quantities, and tracking down an original car that hasn’t been lost to the sea of beater Mustangs once its light bar and decals were stripped away can be a tall order. Fortunately, plenty of enthusiasts have found ways to to keep these cars alive after they retire from service, and this 1989 example here on eBay is made even more rare for being one of the very few SSP cars allocated to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The seller is asking $32,895 with the option to submit a best offer.
The seller claims just 32 SSPs came to Canada back in the day, and this is one of the handful of cars optioned with the manual transmission. Kudos to the seller for displaying this one as accurately as possible, down to the weaponry mounted just to the right of the shifter. The car featured here is one of four ordered for the province of Saskatchewan, and the seller has even drilled down to the original pilot of the high speed pursuit vehicle, a gentleman by the name of Corporal Brad Popowich. I’ve always wondered if you had to be a fairly high caliber police officer to earn the keys to an SSP, as I’m sure there were plenty of junior officers who may make some questionable judgement calls when behind the wheel of a muscle car wearing police livery.
This example is in truly spectacular condition, from the strong cosmetics featuring original SSP details like the ultra-rare blue hoses, to the recreation of the original appearance with the light bar and grill-mounted flashing lights. The seller doesn’t reveal whether this SSP has remained in its in-service duds since new, or if it was purchased wearing street clothes (as many of them were returned to once auctioned off and purchased by civilians). This is a small detail, really, since the car appears to be completely accurate, but some enthusiasts will pay a bit more for an SSP that was never altered from its as-delivered appearance when allocated to local law enforcement and highway patrol.
To me, there’s just too many details here (that appear to be correct) for this Mustang to have ever worn street clothes. The graphics on the door, the paint, the sound and communications equipment – it’s all here, and nothing looks out of place. The seller has included “in service” photographs to validate this SSP’s work alongside major highway systems, surely catching more than one unsuspecting motorist off-guard. The SSP cars will always hold a special place in a Mustang fan’s collection, and adding of the very few Royal Canadian Mounted Police examples to a collection that seemingly has one of everything will be the cherry on top for a Fox body collector.
Most of the ex RCMP cars sold through the government surplus are stripped of the police gear and markings before being auctioned. The ex RCMP Crown Vic I bought from Crown Assets was the same blue but devoid of any markings or police equipment.
Got to be crazy to pay that for an old police car .🚔🚓
There was a guy in April of this year in Nova Scotia that made a replica RCMP police cruiser that was so authentic looking it even fooled the police. He went on a shooting spree dressed as an RCMP officer and killed 22 people.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mass-shooting-unsealed-search-warrant-documents-1.5664913
That is absolutely horrific.
I’m amazed that I never heard about that twisted freak.
I’ve always been wary of the wannabe cops, luckily the ones I’ve encountered were just relatively harmless clowns
I live in Saskatchewan and I was watching this car when it sold at auction about 8 years ago for $7000 and yes, it was dressed down to civilian attire. Clearly the new owner restored it to spec, and did a dang good job of it.
The car looks good, but whether it’s worth the asking price or not: I don’t know.
Now the question: is it even possible to have a police car with that low a mileage?
The fox bodied with a 302 were a pretty potent package unfortunately the normal life of a Police car does not lend for a long life. It would need to be well checked out. I remember when the Fargo PD got one of these and EVERYTIME I saw the car it had someone pulled over. One day I thought about the car and I hadn’t seen it in awhile so I asked a friend who was an officer about it and he said one of the officers was chasing a drug suspect who was wanted and the car was driven across a plowed field at as high a speed as it would go, they got the bad guy but totalling the mustang in the process. To bad it was an extremely nice car!
Even the hood prop rod is blue! – tho i would prefer to see 2 old fashioned springs holding it up instead – blue not necessary. lol
Grill opening looks kinda small – wonder if these ran a bit hot.
There is a really nice Matchbox version of the Mustang SSP police car. I have one and it’s really neat.
It’s restored to what might have been the Police spec. When service vehicles go to auction all the policing items are removed as noted. Certainly firearms radios light bars and flashers are removed. That’s a lot of money I think the seller is dreaming
I would love to roll up to the rink in that car, eh?
Very surprised a Canadian police vehicle would have a mph speedometer and not kph!!
A good friend of mine bought 3 SSPs at auction several years ago and was nowhere near the asking price for this one..two were 5spd with higher mileage the other was automatic with around 60 some thousand miles and with buyers fees was around $16000 for three and they were in outstanding condition. This is a very nice looking SSP buuuutttt…
Pretty cool looking but the price seems a little high in my opinion!!!
Is that shotgun the definition of “Open Carry”?