Stories & Lifestyle: Cult car Ford Crown Victoria now just scrap metal

News that make the Big-American-Car enthusiasts suffer - this year, the embodiment of the great American road cruiser will not be sold to the general public any more. In the foreseeable future it will only be available as a police car, for fire departments and for cab companies, even though even they have by now switched to more modern types of cars. Raising fuel prices as well as tendency towards hybrid cars make it obvious that the car's design was outdated and fuel consumption too high. There was no big farewell, though, the car was simply removed from Ford's homepage without any kind of statement from the company.

Since 2007 the Ford Motor Company has begun a significant restructuring and consistent reorganization of its entire range of models, due to a considerable loss in revenue and the looming risk of bankruptcy. There are currently no plans for a direct successor to the Crown Victoria and its sister model Grand Marquis.

EPITOME OF THE "FULL SIZE CAR"

Everyone who's ever been to New York must know this car - for example as the yellow cabs in New York with so much space between driver's seat and backseat, there's even room for a Perspex screen. The customer sinks into the soft seat and the car's suspension will keep him from feeling any potholes in the road. Or as a cop car for the traffic police in some states, with an "Interceptor" added to the name. Countless of these cars were totaled in American crime thrillers and movies. For two generations, the Ford Crown Victoria was the epitome of the so-called "full size car" - a huge car that didn't acknowledge any limits to growth.

The huge, heavy American limousine with eight cylinders and 4.6 liters displacement is not suitable for these times anymore in which oil prices are almost $100 per barrel. Sales dropped almost 90 percent since the year 2000, an end of production is in sight.

In 2006, Ford could only sell 3000 "Crown Vic" - as the fans call it - to private customers. The car enthusiasts organized themselves in regional clubs and exchange information online (www.crownvic.net) about modifications, sources for spare parts and fan meetings. The car is perceived as the typical American car, even though it was not even built there. It was being produced in Ontario, Canada.