Irony Police: '73 Dodge Polara Air Pollution Control replica

Over at Clunkbucket, Mike Bumbeck has an "odd rod" feature highlighting one of the more interesting law-enforcement vehicles we've ever come across. Back in the early 70s, the Bay Area Pollution Control District decided to form a Vehicle Patrol section to issue citations to emissions scofflaws. Officers used a chart that told them what color color smoke was "good" or "bad" to determine whether the exhaust spewing from cars' tailpipes was in compliance. Nowadays, this sort of endeavor would likely be carried out by humorless glorified metermaids in politically-correct Toyota Priuses. Back then, however, jauntily-dressed pollution-enforcement agents cruised the streets of San Francisco in specially-liveried Dodge Polara pursuit specials. Because, you know, when you think "clean air" you think "Dodge Polara." Head over to Clunkbucket for plenty more photos, some additional program history, and details on the excellent replica you see above.

[Source: Clunkbucket | Photo: Mike Bumbeck]