Just as rust never sleeps, so must old Fords find their way home, even in the case of the Dearborn automaker’s longstanding and virtually complete monopoly of the police cruiser business. ‘Tis a sad day, but one long in coming: According to the Detroit Free Press in an article on August 25, the ‘Vic is retiring, and in its place Ford will customize a Taurus (Taurus!) to sell to police departments.

There’s something about a well-designed car. It’s sheetmetal with sex appeal, sculpture with a practical purpose. Design drives passion as much or more than performance — it’s that all-important first impression that just may end up with love at first sight. And most of the time, we get that first glimpse at an auto show [...]