In 1982 the Ford Mustang entered the prestigious realm of law enforcement. Known today as the Special Service Mustang, Ford initially outfitted approximately 406
Fox Body Mustangs with what they called the severe service package. The package was nearly identical to the 1982 5.0L GL trim Mustang and was designed for the California Highway Patrol (CHP). They sold the cars to the CHP for a mere $6,800 a vehicle. The CHP had been using the popular Chevrolet Camaro as patrol cars prior to the Mustang’s entrance, but powertrain problems forced them to seek out new vehicles.
Dependable, Durable, and Up for the Task at Hand
As luck would have it, the CHP was extremely impressed with their 1982 Severe Service Mustangs. Officials told Ford they found the car to be dependable, durable, and up for the task of high-speed pursuits. According to reports, the car could go from 60 to 90 mph in about 8 seconds with a top speed of 137 mph. The car also achieved better gas mileage than its larger police cruiser counterparts. One year later, in 1983, Ford saw an opportunity to market the car to other government organizations nationwide, and in turn changed the name of the vehicle to the Special Service Package (SSP) Mustang. Based on the 5.0L GL coupe, this 157 hp 5.0L V-8 law enforcement model was sold to local, state, and federal agencies. In fact one SSP Mustang's job was to help the U.S. Air Force land their Lockheed U2 Spyplane.
All Stock Performance
Contrary to popular belief, the Special Service Mustang did not feature a modified engine nor did it have any special components designed to make it faster on the road. In fact, the car was nearly identical to its 5.0L daily driver counterpart. That alone said a lot about the performance qualities of the everyday Mustang. There were a few options such as larger wheels (15”x7”) in 1985, performance tires, along with a 140 mph certified calibration speedometer. Most of these items were offered for convenience purposes. In 1986 a few additional offerings were made including air conditioning, blue silicon heavy-duty hoses with aircraft-style clamps, radio noise suppressor, silicone radiator, police oil cooler, external automatic transmission cooler, and a recalibrated cooling fan clutch. From 1990 to 1993 the Special Service Mustang also included a reinforced floor pan.
A Versatile Vehicle for Many Jobs
During their 11 years of service, Special Service Mustangs were purchased by organizations such as the United States Air force, DEA, FBI, GSA, as well as local law enforcement in three dozen states including California, Texas,
Georgia, Oregon, and Florida. It’s estimated approximately 15,000 of these vehicles were sold. Most were used as police interceptors and pursuit vehicles, while some were used for administrative purposes. Five of the vehicles were hatchbacks sold to the CHP in 1982.
SSP Mustangs Today
These days you can sometimes find Special Service Mustangs at auctions and at car shows. That said, how do you know the car really is a real Special Service Mustang and not an imposter? Well, real Special Service Mustangs have a special DSO (Domestic Special Order) Code located on the car’s radiator core support. You can also find this on the driver’s side door VIN (
Vehicle Identification Number) plate.
