Dateline 1973. The Bay Area Air Pollution Control District announces the formation of their Vehicle Patrol section in San Francisco. Fourteen agents would patrol California roads, and issue citations to smoke-spewing scofflaws. The agents completed California Highway Patrol defensive driving courses and were trained in patrol driving techniques. Their fleet? Fourteen specially-equipped and painted 1973 Dodge Polaras! Enter John Swanson, who found a similar Polara for a nice price, and has spent the last few years recreating one of these long since decommissioned pollution pursuit specials.
“We’re still certified twice a year by the state to read smoke. They hand these out when I go to smoke school. That’s where I got this one”, said John.
Back in 1973, the chart would come out when a smoky tailpipe was spotted by an agent behind the wheel of the Polara. Scofflaws were issued citations for proof of correction. Officers were not armed, but were outfitted in stylish blue sport blazers and grey slacks. In 1978 the program was absorbed by the California Highway Patrol, who are still fully equipped to give motorists citations for vehicle code violations, but no longer from Dodge Polaras or Monacos.
10 Responses
This was not what I was expecting when I saw the headline in my RSS feed.
I’m assuming the Polara in question retains all of its original emissions control equipment?
Posted on June 12th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
See, now THIS is responsible journalism. Bravo!
Posted on June 12th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Cool! If this restoration wasn’t a Labor of Love I’d encourage him to enter this ride in a 24 Hours of LeMons race.
Posted on June 14th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
So it’s a pre-smog car… is this thing an example of rolling irony, by chance? By which I mean, it *does* produce more than its share of pollution, right?
Posted on June 14th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I like that one can fit a Pentastar in the middle of the Ringelmann. With that in hand, how could any self-respecting smoke-hunter drive anything but a Polara?
Posted on June 15th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Great rims. I would love to challenge the calibration of the Ringelmann in court. I would play so much axegrinding metal and thunderbass hip hop in this car that it would solve all of my problems in life.
Posted on June 15th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I saw this vehicle at the Mopar Alley show in Fremont, Ca last weekend where I believe you took this pic. It surprised me as I grew up in the bay area and never recall seeing one when I was a kid. Wonder why they bothered as they had so few cars patrolling and could have had regular police cars monitor polluton.
Love the car and especially the Moparish shade of orange
Posted on June 17th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Memories! My father was one of the 14. I remember getting rides to school and him letting me hit the lights and siren. We would pull people over on the 101 and write them up. Later on their tasks were expanded to gas station inspections.
My father passed away 2 years ago. Thank you for the memories.
Posted on June 21st, 2009 at 6:57 am
Tony — I’d love to talk to you more about your Father and the memories you have of him and the patrol days? Please contact me: jswanson@baaqmd.gov
Thanks, John
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
It would have been oh so much sweeter if it had been a diesel
Posted on September 11th, 2009 at 8:57 pm