There Are Still Two Ford Crown Victorias Running Taxi Service in NYC - For Now
It’s the end of an era that many of you probably thought ended years ago: The Ford Crown Victoria’s time as a taxi on the streets of NYC is coming to a close, as the last two cars still eligible for duty are aging out.
New York City has a rule that taxis cannot be more than seven years old. The last Crown Vic tolled off the assembly line in late 2011, making the two elusive people haulers well out of compliance. They’ve remained in service due to “missing” their appointments with the inspector due to financial hardship, and both have accumulated several hundred thousand miles in the process.
Ravinder Sharma’s 2011 Crown Vic has more than 550,000 miles on the clock, while Haroon Abdullah’s 2013 has 491,000. Those mileage numbers are a testament to the cars’ insane dependability and mountains of readily available, mostly affordable parts. Their thirsty V8 engines aren’t the best for fuel economy, but the robustness of the cars’ construction made them ideal candidates for abusive jobs, such as police work and taxi service.
Though it’s impressive that the two drivers have managed to keep their extremely high-mileage cars on the road, evading the authorities in the process, their time is limited. Neither vehicle will pass an inspection and could net their owners hefty fines and other penalties.
[Image: elbud via Shutterstock]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I've owned four of these cars and convinced that it is the greatest automobile ever built. Drifted away back in 2001 to a Chevy Impala that was mechanically totaled at 80k miles due to PCM and BCM multiple failures, plus a Deathcool nightmare of repeating intake gasket failures. Back to a panther platform car.
Not learning my lesson I drifted again to a Chrysler LX with a hemi. Electrical gremlins again with TIPM failures and CAN BUS communication nightmares.
Last month I paid top dollar for a 27k mile one owner grand marquis. This is my last automobile purchase and I finally have learned my lesson.
It's a shame Ford didn't do more to modernize the car, optimize the passenger and trunk, add some more efficient powertrains and still keep the tough and fabled body on frame construction.
Matlock drove one, and that was a major redeeming association for me 🙂
Thank you Maintenance costs for your clarification and Wolfwagen for yours too that is what I heard or read somewhere so thank you .
Lou, not sure about panthers and Cougars , BUT at 76,I now consider myself a vintage Rolls Canardly. I roll down one hill and Canardly get up the next! Wishing you a Very Happy, Merry HanaKwanzaMas. 🎅🎄