In Victoria, the fuzz gets new Commodore SS cruisers

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The Commodores are now in full swing, hitting police departments across Australia. We refer not to the classic funk band, of course, but to GM Holden's sweet, V8-powered, soon-to-be-a-Pontiac (maybe) sedan. Our man Dane Muldoon said it's quite the fun machine after spending a week with one in the Autoblog Garage, and we're willing to bet the constabulary won't be averse to laying down the law (and long, black strips of rubber) with their garishly-colored new toys.

The latest place to receive the new VE Commodore cruisers is Victoria. The locals call them SMART cars, but the name has nothing to do with DCX's dinky little city cruiser. It's an acronym for Special Mobile Anti- Road Toll, and they're meant to form a highly visible presence that promotes safe driving. That sounds like fancy bureaucratese to us. We'll translate it into plain English: it's a fleet of Commodore SS muscle sedans whose cop livery makes them look like V8 Supercars with light bars. And if you don't follow the rules of the road, they're gonna chase you down and bust you.

[Source: GM Holden]

PRESS RELEASE:
Holden Commodores Out In Force For Vic Police

GM Holden and Victoria Police have joined forces to design 20 striking SS Commodores to help reduce the road toll and increase road safety during the Easter period.

The state-of-the-art SMART cars (Special Mobile Anti- Road Toll Cars) are visually bold Ignition-coloured Holden SS Commodores, designed to provide maximum visibility on roads during peak periods.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and Assistant Commissioner (Traffic and Transport) Noel Ashby unveiled the fleet today as part of the Easter road safety campaign.

A/C Ashby said the vehicles would form an integral part of Victoria Police's overall road safety strategy.

"The Easter period has been one of high road trauma in the past and the SMART cars help highlight the presence of police on our roads during this time," A/C Ashby said.

"Police will be out in force right across the weekend and we urge people to take every precaution when using the roads, whether you are travelling just in your area or across the state.

"The SMART cars are a highly visible aspect of our operations and serve as an excellent reminder to drivers that the police are out there and if you are doing the wrong thing, you will be caught."

Holden is a major supplier of fleet vehicles to Victoria Police and the SS Commodore SMART cars were developed in close collaboration between the two organisations.

Simon Carr, Holden Director - National Fleet, said today, "The relationship between Holden and Victoria Police is a highly collaborative one. SS Commodores have been an integral part of the police fleet since 1999 and Holden has been supplying cars to Victoria Police since the introduction of the 48-215 in 1948.

"Furthermore, like Holden, Victoria Police has a strong commitment to safety and innovation, so we have worked very closely with the police on the design of these vehicles for maximum effect."

Some of the SS Commodores are fitted with mobile data devices which allow police to access information including driver license details and persons of interest data. They also feature a range of modern technology to accommodate secure digital radios and mobile radar equipment.