Shedding the Crown

I saw an article n the newspaper this week noting the demise of the Ford Crown Victoria automobile.  The "Crown Vic" has not been available to the public for several years now, but it has been produced in limited numbers at a Ford plant in Canada specifically for municipalities and law enforcement as a service vehicle.  The final Vic rolls off the assembly line this week. For the last two decades, the Crown Vic has been, far and above, the most popular model of choice as police cars, including here in Cincinnati and in Hamilton County.  Big, heavy, with a more-than-perky-enough V-8 engine and oversized A/C, the Vic has been a reliable workhorse that is quite popular among cops.  So much so, there are some local governments who are "stocking up" on Vics before they're gone.  Ford reports sales of the Grand Vic are up 65-percent this year.
The replacement for the Vic is the Ford Taurus Interceptor, a smaller, lighter car with a V-6 engine and less guts.  Also, Chevy has returned to the police vehicle business offering a smaller Impala model and several law enforcement agencies have shelled out a little extra for the police version of the sporty Dodge Charger.  Lately, the Indiana Highway Patrol has been using a nifty jet-black Mustang as an unmarked vehicle on I-74. 
Personally, I'll miss the Grand Vic.  After twenty years, I've become pretty good at spotting one a mile or so up the road.  Looking into my rear view mirror, I can instantly spot a Vic coming up from behind.  Since they were also used as taxi cabs and other government vehicles, I've been fooled a few times but I am always better safe than sorry.  Of course, the big chrome spotlight near the driver's side door has assisted my identification skills.  (Not that I speed, mind you...but it never hurts to know whom might be watching, tee hee.).
I understand why the gas guzzling Vics are being retired but I'm still a little sad.  Sad because I know how popular they are among the men and women in blue but also sad because I'll selfishly have to train my eyes to look for something else.   And of course, there's that Mustang!