FBI Cars

[Guest Lamal]

Hi.

I have a scene in a movie which will need a 1954 FBI undercover vehicle.

Does anyone know what kind of cars the FBI typically used during this period?

Ford? Chevy?, Mercury?

Many thanks,

Andre

[nick8086]

Get Smart had a Sunbeam..

Try the Hamb.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=659214&showall=1

Cars from 1954

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_spotters_guide_usa_1954.htm

Metropolitan

Chevrolet Bel Air

Kaiser Manhattan

Edited February 8, 2014 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[CarlLaFong]

Maxwell Smart also drove a Karmann Ghia. Of course, he was with CONTROL, not the FBI.

I imagine the feds used a nondescript sedan for undercover work. Could have been just about anything

[MCHinson]

For undercover cars law enforcment agencies generally use whatever commonly available cars are popular so they fit in easily. I suspect that was also true in 1954. Basically any domestic automobile of the era should work well for you. Where are you located? There may be a local picture car company that has what you need or a hobbyist may be willing to helping you with your car rental needs.

[Matt Harwood]

You're going to want a low-end 4-door sedan of some type, probably Ford, Plymouth, Dodge, or Chevrolet, blackwall tires, and a nondescript color like black, gray, or white. No red Bel Air hardtops with whitewalls and a continental kit.

If authenticity matters to you, seek out a plain Jane sedan with blackwalls and it'll look right. Watch any recent movie that's set in the '30s and look at all the glittering, perfect, high-end cars with wide whites and brilliant paint--it looks downright surreal. Then look at an old movie from the '30s or '40s and see what EVERYONE really drove: dusty-looking plain sedans with blackwalls.

[Restorer32]

Make sure it has the smallest cheapest hubcaps available for the car. You can generally spot undercover cars by their hub caps, even today. Really expensive "high speed" blackwall tires and cheap dog dish caps are a dead giveaway.

[28 Chrysler]

Watch an episode of "Car 54", it may help you out.

[Guest AlCapone]

I have been in the enforcement and justice community all my life and my experience is that they used anything and everything. Usually not too fancy and usually a basic working man's car. There is usually a pool to draw from and is usually composed of cars that don't draw attention. You don't drive a Jag or Mercedes into the ghetto. Community policing is of course entirely different where you want to be noticed to draw attention. As a rule of thumb your class of person being investigated will determine the class of car you drive. Just my two cents worth. Wayne

Edited February 8, 2014 by AlCapone
Poor grammar (see edit history)

[JACK M]

Didn't know there were Sunbeam (Alpines) or Carmen Ghias in 54.

[MCHinson]

Matt Harwood and Restorer32,

As a 30+ year law enforcement veteran,who spent quite a few years managing my department's fleet, let me point out that there is a difference in an undercover vehicle and an unmarked vehicle. The attributes that you referred to would probably be appropriate for an unmarked patrol vehicle, but not an undercover vehicle which is what the original poster asked about. For undercover vehicles we typically used large production domestic cars. Some of what we used for undercover cars would suprise you. Some of them were far from non-descript low end sedans.

[Harold]

I attended many FBI sealed-bid sales and bought a number of their cars in the early seventies. Visually, they were definitely upscale as compared to unmarked police cars. In my experience, they would get the lowest-series model with factory-installed dress-up trim. For example, I had a Ford Custom from them with factory wheelcovers, body side moldings, and vinyl roof. Sort of a bargain-basement Galaxie. I also got a '69 Ambassador that looked just like a civilian model except that it had a big V8 and full police package. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. For what it's worth, one of the conditions of sale was that the buyer agreed not to mention the FBI in any advertisements offering the car for sale.

[Rusty_OToole]

Get a 52, 53 or 54 Ford Dodge or Chev black 4 door sedan. Blackwall tires. Make sure it is clean and in good repair

Tom McCahill ran a garage in New York City in the thirties. One of his customers was the local FBI office. They had a standing order that every car be washed when it returned to the garage, whether it needed it or not.

[dictator27]

Didn't know there were Sunbeam (Alpines) or Carmen Ghias in 54.

Sunbeam Alpines first appeared in 1953, Karmann Ghias in 1955.

Terry

[john2dameron]

I would suggest a '54 Ford Customline 4-door sedan; definitely not a Mainline model, black with a good wax job on it. If not black I'd go with dark blue.

[JACK M]

Sunbeam Alpines first appeared in 1953, Karmann Ghias in 1955.

Terry

I am happy to learn something I didnt know.

Neither of these cars really interest me as they are WAY to small for my big feet.

[John_Maine]

I was going to say watch some episodes of "The FBI" with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. I believe the show was sponsored by Ford, so all the cars they used were basic Ford Galaxies and Customs, some had dog dish caps, some had full wheel covers, but I imagine they were fairly typical for the times. I always thought most "undercover" cars were whatever they had on hand that blended in for their location.

[Rusty_OToole]

The FBI is a government agency and they would have sourced their vehicles in the usual way. By putting out tenders and buying from the low bidder. So they may have bought Dodges one year, Fords the next, possibly Nashes the next.

But for the purpose of this question a plain dark colored Ford would look the part.

[Earl B.]

Y'all are forgetting one of the most popular one of all.... The facts sir, just the facts.....Dragnet!

[jdome]

Sunbeam Alpines first appeared in 1953, Karmann Ghias in 1955.

Grace Kelly drove a 53 or 54 Sunbeam Alpine in the picnic & chase scene in "It Takes A Thief"

[jdome]

Nash and Hudson were common Federal fleet vehicles in the 50's

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Metropolis police always had bathtub Nashes.

[jdome]

What was Broadrick Crawford, car 54? was he a Fed or statie? I think he started the series in the early/mid 50's with a bathtub Nash and later switched to Fairlanes.

[Larry Schramm]

In the 1980"s the FBI actually had some Buick Grand Nationals in their fleet.

[West Peterson]

Does anyone remember seeing the Hippie van at Hershey and Gettysburg a few years ago? It was used by the FBI when new. That was a real treat. Shag carpeting and all.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

In the 1980"s the FBI actually had some Buick Grand Nationals in their fleet.

Larry:

You are right - my son bought a 1986 Buick Turbo T-Type Regal which was a former FBI pursuit car that was used in the Boston area in the late 80's; unlike Buick Grand Nationals which only came in black, this one was painted maroon (guess so it wouldn't be obvious that you were going to lose the race when they chased you); it had a heftier suspension than the Grand Nationals. When the Buick Grand National was introduced in 1984 it was proclaimed the fastest production car in America and that little V-6 with a turbocharger could outrun Corvettes! Guess they were the perfect balance of weight - horsepower - torque. :cool:

When I was in high school we were amazed that the new 1962 Chevy 409 could run a quarter mile in about 14-15 seconds . . . my son's '86 Buick Grand National runs the quarter mile in just over 9 seconds and does wheelies off the starting line. I bought him a set of vanity license plates for it that say ATE A V8

He has owned two Grand Nationals in addition to the FBI Turbo T-Type Regal pursuit car.

Fred

Edited February 11, 2014 by Texas Old Car Guy (see edit history)

[ply33]

What was Broadrick Crawford, car 54? was he a Fed or statie? I think he started the series in the early/mid 50's with a bathtub Nash and later switched to Fairlanes.

Without actually checking to see how bad my memory is against references, I think the Broadrick Crawford character was with the California Highway Patrol while the crew in Car 54 were supposed to be NYPD.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

Broderick Crawford starred as Chief Dan Matthews in the 1955-59 TV series Highway Patrol and drove a Buick.

[Earl B.]

Dan Matthews drove a Buick for sure, a 1955. It was one of 50some made especially for law enforcement. I think most went to California. It was a Special body, badged as a Century with a Roadmaster motor. The car was a 2-door sedan..with post ..and that body style did not come in a Century. If the crooks knew cars, it woiuld stand out like a sore thumb if used for undercover, even if painted Buick colors. Dan's car and the others were marked as CHP cars. There are still some of the cars around..

[JACK M]

What was Broadrick Crawford, car 54? was he a Fed or statie? I think he started the series in the early/mid 50's with a bathtub Nash and later switched to Fairlanes.

I remember him in a Buick. "2150 to headquarters".

[Earl B.]

Jack, I think you're mixing apples and oranges. Broadrick Crawford was in Highway Patrol. Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne Were in Car 54 Where Are You? Ross played Gunther Toody and Gwynne played Francis Muldoon. Hope this clears it up for you.

Crawford did drive a 1955 Buick as I explained in post 28. I think Car 54 was a Dodge or Plymouth.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

Earl B.:

You are right, Car 54 was a Plymouth. Here's some interesting trivia about the show and the cars used from Wikipedia: "The TV show's police cars on location shots were actually bright red and white, which appeared as the proper shade of gray for an NYPD car on black-and-white film. NYPD cars of that era were black and green with a white roof and trunk. Two Plymouth Savoys were used as the title vehicle during the series; a 1961 Savoy during the first season, and a 1963 Savoy during the second."

Fred

Edited February 11, 2014 by Texas Old Car Guy (see edit history)

[D Yaros]

What was Broadrick Crawford, car 54? was he a Fed or statie? I think he started the series in the early/mid 50's with a bathtub Nash and later switched to Fairlanes.

California Highway Patrol.

[Harold]

I've read that any of the scenes in Highway Patrol that showed Dan Matthews driving a car were shot on private roads because Broderick Crawford lost his driver's license due to DUI.

My father saw some location filming of Car 54 in the Bronx in the early sixties. He told me that the car was purple, black, and white.

[nick8086]

I would use a Possessed: the 1958 Plymouth Fury "Christine"

One just sold:

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlinesubmission/lotdetails.aspx?ln=397&aid=49

Edited February 12, 2014 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

My father saw some location filming of Car 54 in the Bronx in the early sixties. He told me that the car was purple, black, and white.

That's not unusual--they really did some wild colors in order to make everything look right in black and white. Apparently plain black and white and shades of gray didn't work as well. Check out this interesting photo of the "Addams Family" set, which was also designed to look "correct" in black and white but was actually outrageous. Amazing what the designers and other behind-the-scenes guys had to figure out in the early days of TV.

[JACK M]

Jack, I think you're mixing apples and oranges. Broadrick Crawford was in Highway Patrol. Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne Were in Car 54 Where Are You? Ross played Gunther Toody and Gwynne played Francis Muldoon. Hope this clears it up for you.

Crawford did drive a 1955 Buick as I explained in post 28. I think Car 54 was a Dodge or Plymouth.

Yes, I knew that.