
Just when it seemed like undercover police cars couldn’t get any stealthier, along comes this.
After adding red- and blue-emergency lights inside the front visors of unmarked police cars, Ford said Monday it is introducing rear emergency lights that are built into the spoiler.
The system means that in states where officers in unmarked cruisers are allowed to pull over speeders, it may be harder to recognize their vehicles — until those lights go on.
Aftermarket light bars can impede visibility by hanging down over the glass,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager, in a statement. “Our fully programmable rear-spoiler traffic warning lights are integrated into the spoiler.”
Ford says its goal was to create a system for police cars that doesn’t block officers’ visibility.
But for speeders, it’s bad news. Up front, Ford can build emergency lights not only into the visors, but the outside rear-view mirror and the grille. Now the lights in the rear will be better hidden as well.
The system could give a Ford another edge in the race for dominance in sales to police departments. After years with the lock on sales with the Crown Victoria, Ford discontinued the model and now offers police versions of its Ford Taurus and Explorer.