1961 Plymouth Pursuit Is a Highway Patrol Survivor in Outstanding Condition

Originally used by the Colorado State Patrol, this Mopar recently found its way into the Noel Automotive shop. The ex-police car did not run, and the owner wanted to bring it back to life. Amazingly enough, shop owner Keith Noel soon discovered he was working on a true unrestored survivor.

Most police cars had a rough life, so it wasn't unusual to be repainted after a few years. Well, this Plymouth retired with the original paint still in place, and it's still wearing it despite being 64 years old as of 2025. Granted, it's not the only 1960s police vehicle with original paint I've seen in recent years, but this one is also rust-free.

Sure, the paint is scratched and worn out in places, but it looks the part after it was polished. Keith points out that the driver's door features a slightly different shade of white, which means this element has been repainted. But all the other panels still have the factory paint.

The Mopar's exterior didn't look this good when it arrived at the shop, but it's now ready to hit the local classic car show. In addition to polishing the paint, they also cleaned the chrome trim and installed the correct Colorado State Patrol decals on the doors (which were approved by the Colorado Highway Police).

Amazingly enough, the Plymouth is still equipped with the correct torpedo-shaped beacon on the roof and the auxiliary lights on the front fenders. Noel Automotive also sourced the correct steel wheels and painted them the same shade of white as the body. That's another period-correct feature.

The interior is a bit more worn out than the exterior, which is understandable. The rubber floor has been removed, and the seats were recovered at some point. The police-specific features are also missing (aside from a tiny panel that operates the lights and the siren). Yes, it needs some work to shine again, but it's not a difficult task (since police cars were pretty rugged at the time).

There's also good news under the hood. The Plymouth still features the original 361-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 engine, as well as the original alternator. The shop had to install a brand-new fuel system for the car to run and new brakes for the vehicle to stop. By the way, these police-spec Mopars were equipped with heavy-duty brakes (in addition to a few engine upgrades).

The vehicle is now roadworthy, a feat that only a handful of 1961 patrol cars can probably brag about today.

This police car is based on an entry-level Savoy model. Plymouth produced about 200,000 full-size cars in 1961, of which nearly 19,000 were Savoy two-door sedans. It's unclear how many were ordered in Pursuit specs.