I started my career at a big daily newspaper. I learned to be a journalist in the trenches with people who were…
Stay weird, Jalops. No matter what happens, dammit, you’ve got to stay weird.
Great article and photos, but I’m a bit disappointed there isn’t a single photo of the spacious and luxurious interior. Shame! Read more
What a beautiful story. Thank you! Read more
The one time I rode in the back of a chauffeur-spec ‘96 Town Car, the ride was so soft and slow it made me sick to my stomach. And I’m a person you could have in the passenger seat upside while you’re doing donuts without getting carsick. In other words, they do not handle curvy mountain roads very well.
But holy crap,… Read more
Man, I miss RWD V8 luxobarges... the Crown Vic and Town Car are such fantastic cars, so easy to keep running and so damn durable. Plus since the engine was shared with the Mustang for a long time, lots of go-fast bits bolt right up so you can have some fun with your barge too. Read more
This was a great read, Misha. It is odd to think that the once ubiquitous Panther body cars have become a novelty. I still see them around of course, but almost never in a service role like they used to be. They were the last major holdouts of the BOF RWD domestic cars that once dominated the US market. The old joke… Read more
Really good article, and a most interesting read. Read more
The Town Car and its Panther platform siblings were forced out of production in 2011 due to regulatory circumstances. It became necessary to replace the Panther with a new design as the late 1970s platform had finally run into a wall where it could be updated no longer. The regulatory demise that Ford knew was looming… Read more
As blah as they look now, when these hit the streets in NYC in the late ‘90s they had an appealing, sinister Batmobile look compared to what was around them. They were actually cool. Read more
It is where all of the New Yorkers go to retire. Read more
Town Cars and Crown Vics are still plentiful in Florida. So if you miss them really bad, you can always make a trip to Disney. Read more
They drive people around, but legally aren’t allowed to pick up anybody waving their arm at the curb.
I worked for an Opera company in the late 90s, we had a singer coming into town and she insisted on a ‘white town car’ I called all the local providers and nobody had one- I couldn’t even find a town car-and decided on a new stretched Cadillac- she did complain and management took me to the carpet asking what I was… Read more
I visited New York with my dad in 2009 when I was seven years old. I remember being totally fascinated by the Town Cars and Crown Vics, which were nothing like we had in my home country. I couldn’t really tell the Town Car and Vic apart from each other, but after returning home I found out what they were called. Sad… Read more
My favorite NYC Town Car memory was on the way to JFK during UN week. A small motorcade (lead cop car and two Town Cars with ‘VIPs’) comes up behind us on the Van Wyck. As they pass, my driver jumps in line behind them. I was actually surprised no other Town Cars jumped into the motorcade. Read more
Great article, thank you. Don’t lament; there was a time when the Checker ruled the streets of New York. Something definitive will emerge. It appears to be Prius’ in Las Vegas. Maybe the Avalon in New York?
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As a former TC daily driver and current TC owner, they really are special cars. As said by the drivers, the MPG is absymal and the 4.6 and AODE aren’t without their quirks. But there are few modern cars that have the suspension of these cars (for good reason) and offer a feeling like a TC. Read more