Police cars are the stuff of legends. Get the right car with the right driver and you've got a surefire recipe for catching bad guys. In this episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Jay takes a look at some of the best vehicles for crime fighting.
To start, Jay takes a spin in a 1969 Plymouth Belvedere police car with the "police pursuit package." Originally retailing for $2,800, this iconic car now goes for $12,500. The car was made famous on the old TV show, ADAM-12.
After signing for a UPS package while driving the 89/92 version of the Batmobile, Jay takes us to his "Bat Room," named for Batman, not baseball bats. Inside the room is Jay's prized possession, a 2016 Batmobile. And who better to pick up in such a vehicle than Zack Snyder, director of Batman vs. Superman.
Once Zach is dropped off, Jay runs into Adam West, the actor who played Batman on TV in the 60s. The two of them hop into Adam's older version of the Batmobile and hit Rick's drive-through for a couple of cool drinks.
It's been a busy day for Jay but it not over yet. His friend Dan Aykroyd shows up in a 1974 Dodge Monaco and the two of the check out the Los Angeles Police Museum. Inside, they find lots of vintage police cars and two rides that are near and dear to Dan's heart: The Ghostbusters vehicles! Jay and Dan take a look at the original Ghostbusters car and also test-drive the newer model, made for the all female Ghostbusters reboot coming out this summer.
Next, Jay drives a 1942 ford jeep to meet up with Dan Jeffery, his sound guy. Before working for Jay, Dan Jeffery was in the Marine Corps and served time in Afghanistan. Here, he puts his combat experience to use by showing Jay how to drive a MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) military vehicle. This massive machine is so heavy with armor that the door alone weighs 400 pounds. The overall weight? About 20 tons. The MRAP uses a whole lot of metal but the 10-passenger vehicle works—it's just about impenetrable.
Vehicle Profile: Segway
Believe it or not, the Segway is huge in law enforcement—especially in Chicago. Formally, the Segway is, "a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen." Its name is derived from the word "segue" and it can only reach a top speed of about 12 miles per hour.
Assess & Caress with Donald Osborne
In this episode, Donald Osborne, a well-known automobile appraiser, assesses the five year appreciation of three gorgeous police cars: a 1970 Plymouth Fury (8%), a 1966 Alfa Romeo Guilia (67%) and a 1982 Ford Mustang 5.0 (60%). The winner is the Alfa Romeo, but not by much.
