Michigan test archive

1978 Michigan State Police Patrol Vehicle Test

Six sedans, a 440 Plymouth Fury at 132.7 mph, the Buick and the Ford put out on acceleration, and a scoring system that turned the Fury into the lowest adjusted bid.

This is the earliest test in the books held here: Michigan’s evaluation of the 1978 model police cars, written up in November 1977 by the State Police Executive Division’s Policy Development and Evaluation Section as the State Police Patrol Vehicle Evaluation and Purchasing Program. Six makers sent a car: Buick, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Plymouth and Pontiac. On Saturday 29 October 1977 all six ran acceleration, top speed and braking at the Chrysler Proving Grounds at Chelsea, the first away at 8:36 in the morning; the brake sheets time the first measured stops between 1:10 and 3:45 in the afternoon. The road-course laps were run on the 1.82-mile course at Michigan International Speedway whose map the book prints; it does not date them.

The book says what it was for: “First, we hope to identify those vehicles which are best suited to perform the patrol function and to give the top scorers a dollars and cents advantage at bid opening. Secondly, we hope that our test data will be of use both to other law enforcement agencies in making decisions on their patrol car purchases, and to the vehicle manufacturers in their development of patrol vehicle packages which will better meet the needs of law enforcement.”

And it names the result: “In the final analysis, the top rated vehicle for our purposes is the Plymouth Fury. The Chevrolet Impala finished a very close second, followed by the Pontiac Catalina and the Dodge Monaco. Applying the final scores to the bid prices, the adjusted low bidder is the Plymouth Fury, and this is the vehicle that we will be purchasing in 1978.” The Fury, with the 440 and 255 horsepower, was quickest to every speed, fastest on top at 132.7 mph, fastest round the road course, and the thirstiest car in the test.

The 1978 qualification standards. The specification asked for a four-door V-8 sedan on a 115.9 to 119.9-inch wheelbase, and every car had to meet each of these to stay in the test (p.8): 0–60 mph in 12.5 seconds or less, 0–80 in 21.0, 0–100 in 38.0, each the average of four runs; 110 mph within 3 miles, then the highest speed reached within 15 miles; and for brakes, three stops from 90 mph at a constant 22 ft/s² at two-minute intervals followed by an impending-skid stop from 60, the whole sequence repeated five minutes later and followed by a panic stop from 60 with all wheels locked. “FAILURE OF A VEHICLE TO MEET ANY PORTION OF THE FOREGOING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WILL RESULT IN THAT VEHICLE’S DISQUALIFICATION FROM FURTHER TESTING, AND ALSO FROM BIDDING.”

All six cars — acceleration, top speed and the road course

Source: Michigan State Police, *State Police Patrol Vehicle Evaluation and Purchasing Program*, November 1977 (1978 models), test sheets pp.18–23 (PDF). Acceleration figures are the average of four runs, two southbound and two northbound, timed with a fifth wheel; top speed is the highest reached within 15 miles; dynamics is the average of 16 timed laps (four drivers, four laps each) of the 1.82-mile road course at Michigan International Speedway. Rows run in the book’s final ranking. † Eliminated for failing the acceleration standards; the book continued to test it for information. Gold row: top rated and adjusted low bidder.
Car	Engine	0–60 (s)	0–80 (s)	0–100 (s)	Top speed (mph)	Dynamics (s)
Plymouth Fury	440 4bbl	9.225	14.930	24.783	132.7	91.054
Chevrolet Impala	350 4bbl	10.780	19.028	33.695	115.4	92.743
Pontiac Catalina	400 4bbl	9.978	18.123	34.600	110.2	93.709
Dodge Monaco	400 4bbl	11.153	19.145	34.395	117.4	93.598
Buick LeSabre †	350 4bbl	12.260	22.815	46.390	110.1	96.569
Ford LTD II †	400 2bbl	12.218	21.988	41.040	115.0	93.535

The Fury’s margin was wide. It reached 100 mph in 24.783 seconds, 8.9 seconds ahead of the next car, the Impala (33.695), and its 132.7 mph was 15.3 mph clear of the Monaco’s 117.4. No car on this archive’s year pages went faster until the five-speed Mustang ran 137.2 in the 1986 test, and no sedan until the 1992 Caprice ran 133.0. Round the road course the Fury averaged 91.054 seconds; the Impala was next at 92.743, and the Buick last at 96.569. The 400-cubic-inch Catalina was second-quickest to 60 and 80 but, at 110.2 mph, barely cleared the 110 bar on top speed.

Acceleration — every run

Source: Acceleration & Top Speed Tests sheets, PDF pp.21–23, Chrysler Proving Grounds, 29 October 1977. Runs 1 and 3 southbound, 2 and 4 northbound. The average is as printed; every one recomputes from its four runs. Start times are the “beginning time” on each sheet, all a.m.
Interval	Run 1 (S)	Run 2 (N)	Run 3 (S)	Run 4 (N)	Average	Requirement
Plymouth Fury, started 9:16 a.m.
0–60 mph	9.05	9.12	9.46	9.27	9.225	12.5
0–80 mph	14.66	14.74	15.24	15.08	14.930	21.0
0–100 mph	24.40	24.40	25.12	25.21	24.783	38.0
Chevrolet Impala, started 10:26 a.m.
0–60 mph	10.95	10.68	10.82	10.67	10.780	12.5
0–80 mph	19.21	18.82	19.02	19.06	19.028	21.0
0–100 mph	32.58	34.90	32.86	34.44	33.695	38.0
Pontiac Catalina, started 8:36 a.m.
0–60 mph	9.57	10.11	9.91	10.32	9.978	12.5
0–80 mph	17.34	18.49	18.15	18.51	18.123	21.0
0–100 mph	32.21	35.64	32.89	37.66	34.600	38.0
Dodge Monaco, started 9:53 a.m.
0–60 mph	10.88	11.16	11.11	11.46	11.153	12.5
0–80 mph	18.78	19.25	19.15	19.40	19.145	21.0
0–100 mph	33.25	35.39	33.86	35.08	34.395	38.0
Buick LeSabre, started 11:05 a.m.
0–60 mph	12.00	11.94	12.50	12.60	12.260	12.5
0–80 mph	22.04	22.65	23.17	23.40	22.815	21.0
0–100 mph	42.37	49.75	44.45	48.99	46.390	38.0
Ford LTD II, started 11:35 a.m.
0–60 mph	12.16	12.31	11.93	12.47	12.218	12.5
0–80 mph	21.36	22.34	21.92	22.33	21.988	21.0
0–100 mph	39.52	42.51	38.38	43.75	41.040	38.0

The Fury’s four 0–100 runs spread from 24.40 to 25.21 seconds; the Catalina’s from 32.21 to 37.66, its two northbound runs much the slower. The Buick’s four 0–100 runs ranged from 42.37 to 49.75 seconds. The Chevrolet sheet’s 0–100 requirement shows its 3 typed over another character; it reads 38.0.

Road course — every lap, by driver

Source: Vehicle Dynamics Evaluation, PDF p.18. Drivers as printed (surnames only). The car average is as printed and recomputes from its 16 laps. The driver averages are not printed in the book; they are computed here from the laps.
Driver	Lap 1	Lap 2	Lap 3	Lap 4	Driver average (computed)
Plymouth Fury — car average 91.054 s
Richter	90.90	89.71	90.32	90.18	90.278
Baker	94.23	92.51	92.69	92.57	93.000
Floate	91.34	91.16	90.38	89.66	90.635
Van Den Berg	90.39	90.69	90.14	90.00	90.305
Chevrolet Impala — car average 92.743 s
Richter	91.75	91.68	92.08	91.61	91.780
Baker	96.68	98.09	95.85	94.58	96.300
Floate	91.12	91.20	91.78	90.83	91.233
Van Den Berg	91.82	91.99	91.19	91.64	91.660
Pontiac Catalina — car average 93.709 s
Richter	93.34	92.94	93.14	93.79	93.303
Baker	95.69	96.26	95.88	95.70	95.883
Floate	93.85	93.10	92.33	93.28	93.140
Van Den Berg	92.88	92.50	92.57	92.09	92.510
Dodge Monaco — car average 93.598 s
Richter	94.52	95.40	93.89	93.15	94.240
Baker	94.74	93.76	93.14	93.63	93.818
Floate	93.35	92.59	92.65	92.83	92.855
Van Den Berg	93.80	93.52	93.29	93.30	93.478
Buick LeSabre — car average 96.569 s
Richter	95.45	96.63	96.63	96.38	96.273
Baker	97.12	97.03	97.65	97.35	97.288
Floate	94.85	96.37	96.14	96.19	95.888
Van Den Berg	97.05	96.67	97.22	96.38	96.830
Ford LTD II — car average 93.535 s
Richter	93.01	93.21	93.04	93.07	93.083
Baker	95.41	95.07	95.28	95.73	95.373
Floate	92.73	92.03	92.53	92.44	92.433
Van Den Berg	93.40	93.29	93.36	92.96	93.253

The book’s method asked for “at least 12 timed laps, using at least three separate drivers”; every car got 16 laps from four. Baker was the slowest of the four drivers in every car but the Monaco, where Richter was slowest. The fastest single lap was Floate’s 89.66 in the Fury; the slowest, Baker’s 98.09 in the Impala.

See the original page: Vehicle Dynamics Evaluation

Scan of the Vehicle Dynamics Evaluation page from the 1978 Michigan State Police test book: four laps by each of four drivers for six cars, with each car’s average — “Vehicle Dynamics Evaluation”, every lap by driver, with the car averages. Michigan State Police, *State Police Patrol Vehicle Evaluation and Purchasing Program*, November 1977, PDF page 18 of the scan (printed page 15). Open full size.

Why the Buick and the Ford went out

The book says it in one sentence: “The Buick and Ford were eliminated due to their inability to meet the established minimum acceleration requirements.” It goes on: “While the Buick and Ford were disqualified and were not permitted to bid, we did continue to evaluate the cars, primarily in order to provide the data to other law enforcement agencies whose requirements for top speed and/or acceleration differ from ours.” Both cars reached 110 mph and both completed the brake tests; the book does not say which acceleration time each missed. Set against the limits, their averages were these:

Source: preface, PDF p.2; standards, p.8; test sheet, p.21. The averages are the book’s; the comparison with the limits is made here.
Requirement	Limit (s)	Buick LeSabre	Ford LTD II	Slowest qualified car
0–60 mph	12.5	12.260	12.218	11.153 (Monaco)
0–80 mph	21.0	22.815	21.988	19.145 (Monaco)
0–100 mph	38.0	46.390	41.040	34.600 (Catalina)
110 mph reached	—	Yes (110.1)	Yes (115.0)	Yes (110.2, Catalina)

Both were inside the 0–60 limit and outside the 0–80 and 0–100 limits. The LeSabre had the least power in the test, 155 hp from a 350, and the second-tallest axle, 2.73. The LTD II had a 400 with a two-barrel carburetor, 166 hp, and the heaviest test weight in the field, 4,611 lb. The LeSabre was eliminated on acceleration again in the 1980 test.

Brakes, fuel, ergonomics and communications

Source: brake test sheets, PDF pp.25–30; ergonomics forms, pp.32–55; communications forms, pp.57–62; hardware pages, pp.10–15. Each 60–0 stop is an impending-skid stop measured with a fifth wheel from the recorded initial speed (59.2 to 61.1 mph), straight after three 90–0 heat-up stops; Phase II follows a five-minute wait. The average rate is the mean of the two stops and is the book’s braking score. Fuel is the EPA urban (city) estimate, the figure the book scored. Ergonomics is the sum of 50 items graded 1 to 10; communications the sum of 16 items graded 1 to 10.
Car	60–0 Phase I (ft)	60–0 Phase II (ft)	Avg decel (ft/s²)	EPA city (mpg)	Ergonomics (pts)	Communications (pts)
Plymouth Fury	173.5	168.5	23.293	10	286.13	93
Chevrolet Impala	157.8	168.1	24.338	15	311.65	62
Pontiac Catalina	144.8	163.5	25.056	14	311.92	53
Dodge Monaco	189.9	164.9	22.594	13	286.13	93
Buick LeSabre	187.8	180.2	21.127	15	312.75	58
Ford LTD II	220.8	189.5	19.192	13	281.91	68

The Catalina stopped best, 25.056 ft/s², including the shortest stop of the day, 144.8 feet from 59.2 mph. The LTD II stopped worst, 19.192 ft/s², after a first stop of 220.8 feet from 60.7; that is the lowest average deceleration rate on any of this archive’s year pages. Every car passed the panic stop: no severe fade, all wheels locked, straight and in lane. The Buick scored best on ergonomics, 312.75, ahead of the Catalina’s 311.92 and the Impala’s 311.65; the Monaco and the Fury scored an identical 286.13, item for item, and the radio installers gave both the same 93. The Catalina’s 53 was the lowest communications score. On fuel the Fury’s 10 mpg city was the lowest; the Buick and Impala were best at 15.

Braking — both stops, with initial speeds

Source: brake test sheets, PDF pp.25–30, Chrysler Proving Grounds, 29 October 1977. Rate = (initial speed × 1.4667)² ÷ (2 × distance), the book’s formula (p.24); every printed rate recomputes, and every final score is the mean of the two. The ending time is printed after Phase I.
Brake test	Stop #4 mph	Stop #4 ft	Stop #4 ft/s²	Stop #8 mph	Stop #8 ft	Stop #8 ft/s²	Final score	Phase I ended
Plymouth Fury	61.1	173.5	23.144	60.6	168.5	23.442	23.293	3:15 p.m.
Chevrolet Impala	60.4	157.8	24.867	61.0	168.1	23.809	24.338	1:40 p.m.
Pontiac Catalina	59.2	144.8	26.033	60.5	163.5	24.079	25.056	3:45 p.m.
Dodge Monaco	61.0	189.9	21.076	60.8	164.9	24.112	22.594	2:44 p.m.
Buick LeSabre	59.9	187.8	20.550	60.3	180.2	21.704	21.127	1:10 p.m.
Ford LTD II	60.7	220.8	17.949	60.0	189.5	20.434	19.192	2:14 p.m.

The stops are not corrected to exactly 60 mph. Stops #1–3 and #5–7, the heat-up stops from 90 mph, are recorded only as “COMPLETED”. Stop #9, the locked-wheel stop, is a yes/no check: every car shows no severe fading, brakes that locked, and a straight stop within its lane.

Ergonomics — all 51 items

Source: Ergonomics Evaluation Forms, PDF pp.32–55, “adapted from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Ergonomics Evaluation form”. Each factor graded 1 (“totally unacceptable”) to 10 (“superior”); the method (p.31) calls for at least four officers scoring independently, their scores averaged. “Interior hood release position” is printed as dashes on every form. Every total equals the sum of its 50 scored items.
Item	Buick	Chevrolet	Dodge	Ford	Plymouth	Pontiac
Seat (front)
Springs	6.75	6.33	6.50	5.33	6.50	6.50
Padding	7.08	6.83	6.17	5.17	6.17	6.50
Depth of bench	6.33	6.33	4.67	5.75	4.67	6.17
Angle of back	6.33	6.33	6.33	6.17	6.33	6.33
Adjustability	6.58	7.00	6.50	6.17	6.50	6.50
General body support	6.83	6.67	6.33	5.17	6.33	6.50
Wheel-pedal-seat relationship
Seat	6.00	6.33	5.50	5.67	5.50	6.00
Backrest	5.83	6.00	5.83	5.33	5.83	5.50
Total distance	6.17	6.33	5.83	5.83	5.83	6.33
Ease of operation	5.83	6.00	6.00	5.67	6.00	5.83
Control accessibility	5.67	5.83	5.83	5.67	5.83	5.67
Controls & instrumentation
Shift lever position	5.83	6.17	6.33	6.33	6.33	6.17
Shift indicator visibility	6.50	6.50	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.33
Interior hood release position	—	—	—	—	—	—
Handbrake release position	6.50	6.50	6.17	6.17	6.17	6.83
Small controls (knobs & switches)	6.33	6.33	6.00	5.83	6.00	6.17
Cigarette lighter location	6.17	6.50	6.17	6.33	6.17	6.17
Adequacy	5.50	5.67	7.00	6.00	7.00	8.17
Clarity	6.50	6.67	7.00	6.33	7.00	7.83
Placement	6.67	7.00	6.17	7.00	6.17	6.83
Visibility
Front	6.83	6.83	6.33	5.83	6.33	6.92
Left side	6.25	5.83	6.00	5.67	6.00	6.25
Left rear quarter	6.08	6.00	4.33	4.50	4.33	6.08
Right side	6.25	6.17	5.67	5.50	5.67	6.25
Right rear quarter	5.17	5.17	4.00	3.83	4.00	5.25
Rear	6.33	6.17	5.00	4.83	5.00	6.25
Heater/A-C/vents & controls
Control positions	7.00	7.17	3.67	4.17	3.67	7.00
Control adjustment	6.50	6.33	5.33	6.33	5.33	6.50
Vent placement	6.17	5.83	5.33	5.17	5.33	5.67
Vent adjustability	6.67	6.00	5.83	5.67	5.83	6.00
Blower range	5.83	5.83	5.83	5.83	5.83	5.83
Temperature range	6.33	6.33	5.67	6.33	5.67	6.33
Noise	5.67	5.67	5.00	5.67	5.00	5.50
Windows and doors
Convenience of operation	6.42	6.33	6.00	6.33	6.00	6.33
Speed of operation	6.00	5.67	5.83	6.17	5.83	5.67
Position of crank	5.67	5.50	6.33	6.83	6.33	5.67
Protrusion of crank	6.00	6.00	6.33	5.83	6.33	6.00
Height of door opening	6.42	6.50	4.83	5.67	4.83	6.42
Width of door opening	6.25	6.25	5.50	5.33	5.50	6.17
Opening angle	6.08	6.08	5.50	5.17	5.50	6.00
Area	6.08	6.00	5.33	5.00	5.33	6.00
Rear passenger compartment
Springs	6.17	6.00	5.33	5.00	5.33	6.00
Padding	6.67	6.50	5.33	5.00	5.33	6.33
Depth of bench	5.67	6.00	5.17	5.00	5.17	5.67
Minimum distance to front seat back	5.67	6.50	5.50	6.17	5.50	6.00
Angle of backrest	6.50	6.17	6.00	6.00	6.00	6.00
Ease of entry and exit	6.50	6.33	4.67	4.83	4.67	6.33
Trunk
Configuration	6.50	6.17	5.83	5.33	5.83	6.17
Location of spare tire	6.00	6.00	5.83	5.67	5.83	6.00
Space for other equipment (First aid kit, flares, etc.)	7.17	6.67	5.17	4.50	5.17	6.67
Accessibility	6.50	6.33	6.33	5.83	6.33	6.33
Total	312.75	311.65	286.13	281.91	286.13	311.92

The Catalina’s instruments scored highest of anything on any form: 8.17 for adequacy and 7.83 for clarity. The lowest single scores went to the heater and air-conditioning control positions in the Monaco and Fury, 3.67, and the Ford’s view over the right rear quarter, 3.83.

Communications — all 16 items

Source: Communications Evaluation Forms, PDF pp.57–62. Scored 1 to 10 by “Personnel of the departmental radio installation unit … based on the relative difficulty of the necessary installations” (p.56). Every total equals the sum of its items.
Item	Buick	Chevrolet	Dodge	Ford	Plymouth	Pontiac
Dash accessibility
Ignition fuse terminal block (accessory positions)	1	1	5	10	5	1
Microphone mountings	5	5	5	5	5	5
Radio-Siren console mountings	2	2	5	1	5	2
Dual radio or scanner installation	1	1	4	1	4	1
Glove box position	5	5	5	5	5	5
Overhead/hood light switches installation (garage)	1	5	8	1	8	1
Trunk accessibility
One radio installation	3	3	5	2	5	3
Two radio installation	3	3	5	1	5	3
Antenna installation	5	5	5	5	5	5
Trunk equipment installation (garage)	8	8	8	2	8	3
Available space for rear deck lights (garage)	6	6	8	6	8	6
Engine accessibility
Battery terminal connection	2	2	5	10	5	2
Accommodation for power and control cables	5	5	5	5	5	5
Siren speaker installation (garage)	1	1	10	6	10	1
Level of radio frequency interference
Vehicle systems interference with radio equipment	5	5	5	5	5	5
Radio frequency interference with vehicle systems	5	5	5	3	5	5
Total	58	62	93	68	93	53

The Ford’s ignition fuse block and battery terminal scored 10 each, but trunk work did not: 1 for a two-radio installation and 2 for trunk equipment. The Catalina lost most against the Impala, which it matched item for item except trunk equipment installation (3 against 8) and the overhead and hood light switches (1 against 5).

The cars as delivered

Source: Informational Hardware Description, PDF pp.10–15. Horsepower and torque as printed (the book does not say gross or net). The specification called for a “3-speed fully automatic, heaviest duty available” transmission with low-gear lockout; the hardware pages do not list the transmission. The Ford, Dodge and Plymouth pages print curb weight; the Buick, Chevrolet and Pontiac pages print only “WEIGHT”. The Monaco and Fury figures are printed as estimates.
Car	HP (as printed)	Torque (lb-ft @ rpm)	Axle ratio	Weight (lb; curb where printed)	Test weight (lb)	Wheelbase (in)	EPA mpg (city / hwy / comb)
Plymouth Fury	255 @ 4000	360 @ 3200	2.71	4,412 (est.)	4,413	117.4	10 / 14 / 11
Chevrolet Impala	170 @ 3800	270 @ 2400	3.08	3,722	3,996	116.0	15 / 21 / 17
Pontiac Catalina	180 @ 3600	325 @ 1600	3.08	3,613	4,057	115.9	14 / 21 / 17
Dodge Monaco	190 @ 3600	305 @ 3200	3.21	4,355 (est.)	4,369	117.4	13 / 20 / 15
Buick LeSabre	155 @ 3400	280 @ 1800	2.73	3,519	4,077	115.9	15 / 22 / 17
Ford LTD II	166 @ 3800	319 @ 1800	3.00	4,160	4,611	118.0	13 / 18 / 15

The Fury and Monaco were the same 117.4-inch Chrysler sedan, with the same interior dimensions to the tenth of an inch; the Fury carried the 440 (E86) and dual exhaust, the Monaco a 400 (E68) and single exhaust. The LTD II had the longest wheelbase, 118.0 inches, and rode on HR70 tires where the others had GR70.

Hardware — everything the book prints

Source: Informational Hardware Description, PDF pp.10–15, as printed (capitals and abbreviations kept). On the Buick page the suspension and brake entries run across the rows, bracketed together; on the Chevrolet page only the suspension entries are. “(front and rear)” is this page’s note that one entry covers both rows. Dimensions in inches.
Item	Buick	Chevrolet	Dodge	Ford	Plymouth	Pontiac
Make & model	Buick Lesabre Sedan	CHEVROLET IMPALA SEDAN	MONACO 4-DR. SEDAN – WL-41	FORD LTD II – 4 DR.	FURY 4-DR. SEDAN – RL-41	1978 PONTIAC CATALINA 4-DOOR SEDAN
Engine	350 CU. IN. V-8	350 CU. IN. V-8	E68 – 400 CID	6.6L (400 CID)	E86 – 440 CID	6.6 LITRE (400 CID) V8
Carburetor-exhaust	4-Barrel Rochester Carburetor, Single Exhaust	4-BARREL CARB., SINGLE EXHAUST	4 BBL. – SINGLE EXHAUST	2 BBL. – SINGLE EXHAUST	4 BBL. – DUAL EXHAUST	4 BBL. – SINGLE
Horsepower @ rpm	155 H.P. @ 3400 RPM	170 H.P. @ 3800 RPM	190 @ 3600 RPM	166 @ 3800 RPM	255 @ 4000 RPM	180 @ 3600 RPM
Torque @ rpm	280 @ 1800 RPM	270 @ 2400 RPM	305 LB. FT. @ 3200 RPM	319 @ 1800 RPM	360 LB. FT. @ 3200 RPM	325 @ 1600 RPM
Compression ratio	8.0 to 1	8.2 TO 1	8.2 TO 1	8.0 TO 1	7.8 TO 1	7.6 TO 1
Axle ratio	2.73	3.08	3.21-1	3.00-1 (TRACTION-LOK)	2.71-1	3.08-1
Steering	Power-Fast Ratio 14 to 1 Gear – 15.3 to 1 Overall Ratio	POWER, HIGH EFFORT	POWER – FIRM	POWER W/AUX. COOLER – RATIO 21.76 TO 1	POWER – FIRM	14 TO 1 RATIO SPEC. HIGH EFFORT
Tire size	GR70 x 15B	GR70 – 15B	GR70-15, GOODYEAR FLEXTEN POLICE SPECIAL	HR70 x 15 POLICE SPL. (GOODYEAR)	GR70-15, GOODYEAR FLEXTEN POLICE SPECIAL	GR70 x 15 POLICE SPECIAL
Suspension, front	Coil springs front & rear, special police suspension with larger front & rear stabilizer bars, special springs & shocks (front and rear)	COIL SPRINGS FRONT AND REAR, SPECIAL POLICE SUSPENSION WITH LARGER FRONT AND REAR STABILIZER BARS, SPECIAL SPRINGS AND SHOCKS (front and rear)	INDEPENDENT, LATERAL NONPARALLEL CONTROL ARMS WITH TORSION BARS	H.D. SPRINGS (600 #/IN.), SHOCKS, STAB. BAR	INDEPENDENT, LATERAL NONPARALLEL CONTROL ARMS WITH TORSION BARS	550 #/IN. SPRINGS
Suspension, rear	see front	see front	PARALLEL, LONGITUDINAL LEAF	H.D. SPRINGS (185 #/IN.), SHOCKS, STAB. BAR	PARALLEL, LONGITUDINAL LEAF	350 #/IN. SPRINGS
Brakes	12" x 1" front semi-metallic brake pads; 11" x 2" rear 28 lb. drum brakes	11" x 2" 23 LB. REAR DRUM BRAKES / METALLIC – IMPREGNATED FRONT BRAKE PADS	DISC – FRONT, DRUM – REAR	POWER – FRONT (SEMI-METALLIC), REAR (ORGANIC)	DISC – FRONT, DRUM – REAR	H.D. SEMI-METALLIC DISC FRONT – 11" x 2" ORGANIC H.D. DRUM REA[R] (last letter cut off at page edge)
Overall length	218.2	212.1	218.0	215.5	218.0	213.8
Overall height	55.7	56.0 LOADED	54.3	52.6	54.3	53.9
Weight (curb where printed)	3519	3722	4355 (est.)	4160	4412 (est.)	3613
Test weight	4077	3996	4369	4611	4413	4057
Wheelbase	115.9	116.0	117.4	118.0	117.4	115.9
Head room, front / rear	39.4 / 38.2	39.0 / 38.2	38.7 / 37.3	38.3 / 37.0	38.7 / 37.3	39.0 / 38.0
Leg room, front / rear	42.4 / 39.0	42.2 / 39.5	42.6 / 34.9	42.6 / 37.4	42.6 / 34.9	42.2 / 39.5
Shoulder room, front / rear	60.8 / 60.8	60.8 / 60.8	58.9 / 59.3	58.5 / 58.2	58.9 / 59.3	61.0 / 59.4
Hip room, front / rear	55.0 / 55.3	55.0 / 55.3	59.2 / 59.2	59.2 / 57.0	59.2 / 59.2	55.0 / 54.1
EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 22 / 17 mpg	15 / 21 / 17 mpg	13 / 20 / 15 mpg	13 / 18 / 15 mpg	10 / 14 / 11 mpg	14 / 21 / 17 mpg

The Pontiac’s brake entry runs off the edge of the page (“…H.D. DRUM REA”). The bid letter of 3 November 1977 gives the Fury’s axle as “2.7-1”; its hardware page says 2.71-1.

The scoring and the money

Only the four cars that qualified were scored. Each category’s raw figures were turned into Z-scores, the number of standard deviations above or below the four-car average (lower times counting as better), multiplied by the category’s weight and added up: vehicle dynamics 25%, acceleration to 100 mph 10%, braking rate 10%, top speed 15%, fuel consumption 25%, ergonomics 10% and communications 5%. The total, which the book calls “R”, was then multiplied by 5% of the median bid, $5,555.17, which gives $277.76 a point, and the result added to or taken from each actual bid. A positive score therefore lowered a bid. The book: “Applying the final scores to the bid prices, the adjusted low bidder is the Plymouth Fury”.

Source: computer score sheet, PDF p.68 (printed page 65): marked units, F.O.B. East Lansing, Michigan; median bid $5555.17, “BID 5% ADJ $-277.76”. This is the sheet the database carries. The same scores were applied to three other price sheets, shown below. Every adjustment is the unrounded total score × −$277.76 (the three-decimal totals shown can be up to 10 cents out), and every adjusted bid the actual bid plus the adjustment.
Car	Total weighted score	Actual bid	Adjustment	Adjusted bid
Plymouth Fury	+0.317	$5,485.64	-$88.10	$5,397.54
Chevrolet Impala	+0.284	$5,758.00	-$78.98	$5,679.02
Pontiac Catalina	-0.139	$5,624.69	+$38.54	$5,663.23
Dodge Monaco	-0.463	$5,454.00	+$128.55	$5,582.55

The Monaco was the lowest actual bid on this sheet, $31.64 below the Fury. Its score of −0.463, last of the four, added $128.55; the Fury’s +0.317, the best, took $88.10 off. The Fury finished $185.01 below the Monaco and $281.48 below the Impala, whose adjusted bid was the highest. The book’s preface notes that “the bid prices of two of these four vehicles were adjusted upward, and two downward based on their overall performance.”

See the original page: Competitive Patrol Vehicle Evaluation

Scan of the 1978 Competitive Patrol Vehicle Evaluation sheet: raw scores, weighted scores, total weighted deviation and bid adjustment for four cars — “Michigan State Police Competitive Patrol Vehicle Evaluation”, the computer score sheet, with the actual and adjusted bids printed beside it. The page is printed sideways in the book and is turned here. Michigan State Police, *State Police Patrol Vehicle Evaluation and Purchasing Program*, November 1977, PDF page 68 of the scan (printed page 65). Open full size.

Weighted Z-scores, category by category

Source: computer score sheets, PDF pp.68–71 (identical on all four). Each entry is the car’s Z-score in that category times the category weight; the book’s Z uses the population standard deviation (dividing by N, p.66) over the four qualified cars. All recompute from the raw scores (p.67).
Category (weight)	Raw: Fury	Fury	Raw: Impala	Impala	Raw: Catalina	Catalina	Raw: Monaco	Monaco
Vehicle dynamics, s (25%)	91.05	+0.405	92.74	+0.008	93.71	-0.220	93.60	-0.193
Acceleration 0–100, s (10%)	24.78	+0.173	33.70	-0.045	34.60	-0.067	34.40	-0.062
Brake deceleration, ft/s² (10%)	23.29	-0.056	24.34	+0.055	25.06	+0.131	22.59	-0.130
Top speed, mph (15%)	132.70	+0.247	115.40	-0.063	110.20	-0.156	117.40	-0.027
Ergonomics, pts (10%)	286.13	-0.100	311.65	+0.099	311.92	+0.101	286.13	-0.100
Communications, pts (5%)	93.00	+0.049	62.00	-0.037	53.00	-0.062	93.00	+0.049
Fuel economy, EPA urban mpg (25%)	10.00	-0.401	15.00	+0.267	14.00	+0.134	13.00	0.000
Total weighted score		+0.317		+0.284		-0.139		-0.463

The Fury gained most on dynamics (+0.405), top speed (+0.247) and acceleration (+0.173), and lost most on fuel (−0.401). The Impala’s largest gains were fuel (+0.267) and ergonomics (+0.099), and its lead over the Catalina came mainly from dynamics and fuel; the Catalina’s braking (+0.131) and fuel (+0.134) were not enough to cover its dynamics (−0.220) and top speed (−0.156).

Four price sheets

The book prints the score sheet four times, once for each combination of a fully marked or a semi-marked car and delivery F.O.B. East Lansing or F.O.B. Negaunee, in the Upper Peninsula. The scores and the $277.76 a point are the same on all four; only the bids differ. Pontiac’s entry reads “NO BID” on both Negaunee sheets.

Source: computer score sheets, PDF pp.68–71; footnotes as printed (“*MARKED UNITS (F.O.B. EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN)” and so on), each with “MEDIAN BID $5555.17”. Actual bid, then adjusted bid. Bold: the lowest adjusted bid on the sheet.
Score sheet	Plymouth Fury	Chevrolet Impala	Pontiac Catalina	Dodge Monaco
Marked, F.O.B. East Lansing (p.68)	$5,485.64 → $5,397.54	$5,758.00 → $5,679.02	$5,624.69 → $5,663.23	$5,454.00 → $5,582.55
Marked, F.O.B. Negaunee (p.69)	$5,587.89 → $5,499.79	$5,848.00 → $5,769.02	NO BID	$5,600.47 → $5,729.02
Semi-marked, F.O.B. East Lansing (p.70)	$5,402.89 → $5,314.79	$5,658.00 → $5,579.02	$5,546.81 → $5,585.35	$5,385.00 → $5,513.55
Semi-marked, F.O.B. Negaunee (p.71)	$5,503.89 → $5,415.79	$5,748.00 → $5,669.02	NO BID	$5,536.47 → $5,665.02

The Fury had the lowest adjusted bid on every sheet. On the two East Lansing sheets the Monaco was the lowest actual bid ($5,454.00 marked, $5,385.00 semi-marked) and the scoring put the Fury ahead of it; at Negaunee the Fury was already the lowest actual bid. The median of $5,555.17 is the median of the marked East Lansing bids, and the other three sheets use it unchanged. The bid letter says the adjusted low bid “will be used when making the award of items 1 and 2 of bid 78.2”; the book does not say which sheet corresponds to which item.

What Michigan ordered

The specification, Mich. 3905-0010, headed “April -, 1977” (the bid letter calls it “specification 3905-0010 dated 10/1/77”), asked for a 1978 four-door V-8 sedan on a 115.9 to 119.9-inch wheelbase, engine size “at manufacturers option providing that the car will meet or exceed the vehicle performance requirements”. Test cars were due at State Police headquarters, 714 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, by 5:00 p.m. on 25 October 1977, with an extra set of four wheels and tires and enough break-in “to permit extended periods of maximum acceleration and high speed driving”, and were to be returned by 1 December 1977.

The list is the patrol car of the day: factory air conditioning with a shut-off switch, tinted glass “not acceptable”; an 80-amp alternator “capable of surviving patrol car operation at 110 mph”; a heavy-duty limited-slip differential; power disc front brakes, “Four wheel disc brakes preferred, if available”; a split bench seat, 60-40 preferred; silicone heater and radiator hoses; a speedometer accurate to 3% with a 0–120 mph scale; Unity #225-6 spotlights with aircraft landing lamps; Goodyear Police Special Flexten radials, GR70-15B minimum, on 15 by 6.5-inch wheels; a three-speed automatic, “heaviest duty available”; seats in cloth or cloth and vinyl, blue, “All vinyl not acceptable”; paint to Dulux 93-032.

The Department of Management and Budget’s letter of 3 November 1977 approved the Fury, Monaco, Catalina and Impala for sealed bid Autos 78-2, due on 22 November 1977 at 1:30 p.m., and said the test results would be “used in the “Z” Score Formula to arrive at the adjusted low bid.”

What 1978 settled

The Fury was the quickest, fastest and best-handling car in the test and the thirstiest, and the scoring weighed those against each other in the open: its dynamics, top speed and acceleration earned more than its 10 mpg cost it, and a car that was not the cheapest bid on the East Lansing sheets became the lowest adjusted bid on all four. The margins were small in money, $185 to $281 on the main sheet, and the system was built to make them count.

The two cars that could not reach 80 and 100 mph in time were tested to the end anyway, so other agencies could see the figures, and the book says plainly why they could not bid. The fuel weighting was a quarter of every score.

Source. State of Michigan, Department of Management and Budget and Department of State Police, State Police Patrol Vehicle Evaluation and Purchasing Program, prepared by the Michigan State Police Executive Division, Policy Development & Evaluation Section, November 1977 (1978 model vehicles), including specification Mich. 3905-0010 and the Department of Management and Budget letter of 3 November 1977. PDF pages 1–71 of a scanned file of Michigan test books (1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1994). All figures transcribed from the page images and checked arithmetically. This page replaces an earlier version built from a re-typeset results table; what changed is listed on the corrections page. See how these videos are researched.