The NYPD began using horse-drawn police wagons in the later part of the 19th Century to move police forces from place to place. Motorized wagons came into use later, and it wasn't until the 1920s and 30s that the department began regularly using motorized patrol cars. Plymouth two-door radio cars were the standard in the late 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, the Plymouth Fury was the mainstay. Photos courtesy of the New York City Police Museum.
Historic NYPD Patrol Cars [Photos]
In the 1950s, the NYPD used the Ford RMP (Radio Motor Patrol). This photo shows one at Coney Island in 1956. Note the passenger-side-only spotlight.
11th Precinct patrol wagon, 1880
61st Precinct patrol wagon in Brooklyn, 1901
Motorized patrol wagon, 1910
The NYPD used Ford Model Ts for its police cars in the 1910s. This photo shows a car at headquarters in 1911.
Police car, 1923.
The NYPD's Emergency Service Unit (ESU) was formed in 1920 to provide specialized support and advanced equipment to other NYPD units. This 1928 photo shows an ESU truck.
This photo from 1938 shows a Plymouth two-door radio car with a white nose, green hood, and white roof.
During the Second World War, NYPD officers drove two-door Plymouth radio cars without roof lights. This photo is from 1946.
The NYPD adopted the Plymouth Fury as its 1970s patrol unit. This photo shows a fleet lot in 1971.
The major squad cars of the 1980s were Chrysler's St. Regis/Gran Fury. This photo is from 1986.
The 1990s Chevrolet Caprice was a full-size V-8 patrol car that still stirs cops' souls. This photo is from 1997.