Reference
Police Package Option Codes
The code is the closest thing to proof a police car has. It was stamped at the point of manufacture rather than added afterwards, which is exactly what makes it worth more than anything bolted to the outside.
Three codes account for most of what you will encounter. Each belongs to a different manufacturer, and each behaves slightly differently.
The three you need to know
| Code | Manufacturer | Package |
|---|---|---|
A38 | Chrysler — Dodge, Plymouth | Police Pursuit Package |
9C1 | General Motors — Chevrolet | Police package |
SSP | Ford | Special Service Package |
A38 — Chrysler
The best known of the three, and the one most often misdated. A38 is widely said to have been introduced in 1974. It was not. The code already existed before then, and a surviving 1973 Plymouth Fury broadcast sheet shows it coded alongside the separate certified-speedometer option.
What actually changed in 1974 was how it could be used: from that year A38 became specifiable on a regular model rather than requiring a dedicated police-coded body. The correct statement is that A38 became available on any body style and trim from 1974 — not that the code began then.
A38 ran until 1983 and was replaced by a different code from 1984.
9C1 — Chevrolet
General Motors’ order code for the dedicated police package. Checking that box changed suspension, steering, brakes, driveline and cooling. One myth worth killing: there was no special reinforced police frame. The heavy-duty hardware was bolted to the standard chassis, which was more than sufficient.
SSP — Ford
The Special Service Package, offered on the Fox-body Mustang from 1983 following the California Highway Patrol’s initial order in 1982. Unlike the other two, SSP describes a specific programme on a specific car rather than a package spread across a range.
Where the code lives
On Chrysler products, the identification tag sits on the top of the left inner fender, held by two screws. The package code appears in the body of the tag, alongside every other option the car was built with.
Two things make reading it harder than it sounds. First, the code you want may not be the only one that matters — the certified speedometer, for instance, carried its own separate code rather than being included in the package code. Second, position matters: the tag is laid out in lines, and knowing which line to read is part of knowing what you are looking at.
General Motors and Ford used different conventions again, both for where the information sits and how it is encoded.
Codes are era-specific. A code quoted for the wrong model year is one of the most reliable signs that a seller is repeating something they were told rather than reading the car. If a listing quotes a code, check it against the year before anything else.
The VIN, and why it cuts both ways
Some manufacturers also encoded police use in the vehicle identification number, using a particular character in a particular position. Chrysler did so in the classic era.
Where the convention exists it is genuinely useful, but treat it as evidence rather than proof — in both directions. A VIN can support a claim, and it can quietly undermine one. Neither outcome settles the question on its own. Documentation settles it; nothing else does.
The full code tables are in the book
This page covers the three codes most people meet. The Golden Age gives the reference: where each manufacturer put the tag and which line to read, how the codes changed by year and what replaced them, the separate code marking the certified speedometer, and the VIN conventions that support or undermine a claim.
Plus twenty-one things commonly printed wrong about these cars — including the A38 dating error above, which this channel had published itself — listed openly at the back with sources.
See the ebookWhat a code cannot tell you
- Which department bought it. The code records the specification, not the customer. Establishing the agency requires documentation.
- Whether the car is original. A correct code on a car with a replacement driveline is still a police car with a replacement driveline.
- Whether the tag is the car’s own. Tags can be swapped. A code supports a claim; it does not close it.
- What engine it had. Engine choice was ordered separately from the package.
Frequently asked questions
What is the A38 police package?
Chrysler’s Police Pursuit Package option code, applied to Dodge and Plymouth products. It covered heavy-duty suspension, upgraded cooling and charging, larger brakes and police-specification hardware. It ran until 1983 and was replaced by a different code from 1984.
Was A38 introduced in 1974?
No, and this is one of the most commonly repeated errors about these cars. A38 existed before 1974 — a surviving 1973 broadcast sheet shows it coded alongside the separate certified-speedometer option. What changed in 1974 was that A38 became specifiable on any body style and trim, rather than requiring a dedicated police-coded body.
What does 9C1 mean?
General Motors’ order code for the Chevrolet police package, covering suspension, steering, brakes, driveline and cooling. Contrary to a common claim, it did not include a special reinforced frame: the heavy-duty hardware was fitted to the standard chassis.
Where is the police package code on the car?
On Chrysler products, the identification tag sits on top of the left inner fender, secured by two screws, and the package code appears among the other option codes. Which line it occupies matters, and General Motors and Ford used different conventions again.
Can you tell a police car from the VIN?
Sometimes. Some manufacturers, Chrysler among them, encoded police use in the VIN using a specific character in a specific position. It is evidence rather than proof, and it works in both directions: it can support a claim or undermine one, but documentation is what settles the question.
Does the code tell you which department owned the car?
No. The code records what the car was built as, not who bought it. Establishing the agency requires documentation such as fleet records, build sheets or a documented ownership history.