Nine American States Interested in Holden Caprice Cop-Car

US Police departments in at least nine states have expressed their interest for the Holden-made Chevrolet Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) that is set to go into production next year.

That doesn't mean that they have decided to go with the purpose-built police sedan based on the Holden Caprice, but GM Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux is confident that they will, expecting orders for “thousands and thousands and thousands” of the vehicles.

Chevrolet has been showcasing the vehicle in a tour of 20 US cities, with comforting results. Feedback for both versions, the patrol vehicle and the plain detective car, was heart-warming.

“We are not in a position to disclose the number of orders in the system at this time, but we’re confident the number of orders will continue to ramp up in the New Year as we complete the road show and start taking orders for the much higher-volume patrol model,” said Mr Devereux.

California, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan and North Carolina were among the states to request tender documents, according to Devereux.

“They are all actually tendering with us right now and we are taking orders as we speak,” he said in Melbourne last week at an American Chamber of Commerce in Australia event.

Holden's boss says GM knew it had a superior police car, proven by official comparative testing with police fleets.

“We have completed, for example, our competitive testing with the Michigan state and LA Sheriff Departments and we expect to see those results in the first quarter,” he said.