1990-1995 Ford Taurus Police Package

The first-generation Taurus was launched in 1985 as a 1986 model to strong fanfare and sales, replacing the slow-selling mid-size Ford LTD. (The full-size Ford LTD Crown Victoria remained as part of the Ford line up.) The release of the Ford Taurus was one of the most anticipated ever, mostly because it was a first in car design and also the start of new quality standards for Ford. At the time of the Taurus’s debut, Ford had been producing mainly rear-wheel drive cars, and Chrysler and General Motors were offering more front-wheel drive vehicles up to midrange including the Chrysler K platform and A-body Chevrolet Celebrity. With the introduction of the Escort and Tempo, Ford was making a transition to front-wheel drive.

1990 – Introduction of Ford Taurus Police Package

This was the year the Police Package Taurus was introduced. This model was basically a low level Taurus with a few extra goodies and upgrades. The most major upgrade would be the high output 3.8L with dual exhaust pipes peaking out under the rear bumper. The suspension was basically taken from the Taurus SHO. The police package came with a 140 MPH “Certified Calibration” speedometer and some even got the dog dishes (14″ steel wheels with center cap). It also received a new grille with several cooling slots on both sides of the Ford oval. 1990 was the only year the police package was governed. The speed governor was set at 110 MPH, and the rev limiter was set at 5500 RPMs. 1990 models also used the AXOD transaxle, which was unable to shift into overdrive at wide open throttle.

The police package included:

SHO steering rack
Power steering cooler
Heavy-duty transmission cooler (tube-in-fin design, like a radiator)
Stiffer springs
Heavy-duty strut mounts
Thicker sway bar (24mm front, 25 mm rear)
Steel front endlinks
Heavy-duty subframe
4-wheel disc brakes w/ ABS
130 Amp alternator

1991 Ford Taurus Police Package

The new AXOD-E (AX4S) allowed shifting into overdrive. The speed governer was also removed so the top speed was drag limited to about 129 MPH (with lightbar and other accessories added).

1992 Ford Taurus Police Package

The Ford Taurus received its first redesign in late 1991 for the 1992 model year. Still based on the same chassis, every exterior body panel (with the exception of the doors) was restyled. In spite of the extensive changes, few modifications were made to the successful styling; in the marketplace, the redesign was largely released as a mid-cycle facelift. In terms of size, the 1992 Taurus gained several inches in length and over 200 pounds in curb weight. Following market demand, the new Taurus was available solely with V6 engines and automatic transmissions. The Taurus SHO made its return, with an automatic transmission option joining the manual transmission.

The interior was also completely redesigned for 1992. As part of the redesign, the Ford Taurus gained a passenger-side airbag as an option, which became standard in 1993 on 1994 models, becoming the first mid-size sedan sold in the United States with standard dual airbags.

The Police Package Taurus was also redesigned. It looked like a low level Taurus and still had dual exhaust, and 140 MPH “Certified Calibration” speedometer. The speedometer gained a million mile odometer this year. Other items that were carried over:

SHO steering rack
Power steering cooler
Heavy-duty transmission cooler (tube-in-fin design, like a radiator)
Stiffer springs
Heavy-duty strut mounts
Thicker sway bar (24mm front, 25 mm rear)
Steel front endlinks
Heavy-duty subframe
4-wheel disc brakes w/ ABS
130 Amp alternator

Instead of cooling slots on both sides of the Ford logo on the grille, it now had a wide single slot under the grille. It still came with the 14″ steel wheel with center cap. The high output 3.8L was modified to put out more power. Modifications include:

New head design (open chamber for slightly lower compression)
More agressive cam profile
Increased webbing on the lower block to increase rigidity
A water-to-oil engine oil cooler helps to keep things cool
Transaxle’s final drive ratio is 3.37:1
Reinforced transaxle bellhousing
New engine and transmission strategy

These modifications provided the 3.8L V6 with 160 HP and 225 ft-lbs of torque. In full cruiser dress (lightbar etc.), the Police Package has a drag limited top speed of 129MPH. In detective dress, top speed is in the upper 130s.

1993 Ford Taurus Police Package

No change.

1994 Ford Taurus Police Package

The Police Package gained 21# injectors.

Demise:

The Taurus police package had problems with it’s front wheel drive transaxle holding up, the car didn’t prove to be very popular, and it was often strongly outsold by Ford’s own Crown Victoria.

The police package was discontinued after 1995. Even though some law enforcement agencies used the Ford Taurus after 1995, an actual police (interceptor) package would not return on the Ford Taurus until 2013.

Michigan State Police Test Results (1990 & 1995):

Difference Between A 1992 Police Package and SHO Ford Taurus:

They have the SHO suspension in them are 300 lbs lighter. The main differences between the Police Pkg Taurus and the regular 3.8 Taurus are as follows: