Nice car, officer! Now, about that ticket ...

(State Police Photo)

A good police car? The State Police want to find out.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Imagine a police car that looks like it's spent some time pumping iron and drinking protein milkshakes. That's the Dodge Charger -- and it could be prowling soon near you.

The State Police have joined some other police departments in the state in buying the car, a sportier-looking ride than the Ford Crown Victoria that many departments have used for years.

The State Police have bought 54 Chargers. Most of them are in the patrol division, while a few are assigned to detectives.

A State Police spokesman, David Procopio, said that his agency, which already owns 1,675 Crown Victorias, is evaluating the new car.

In a Globe review, the car was described as a "menacing, sort of a Mad Max apparition, particularly with the black front and black push rack ahead of the grille."

Lisa Barrow, a spokeswoman for Chrysler, said the Charger, which was introduced in 2006, is "selling well all over the country."

But she also said, "New England is Ford territory so it's tough to break into."

Dick Ashton, project manager for the highway safety committee at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said that Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors (whose Chevy Impalas can be outfitted as police cars) were in the police car business for years, but Chrysler and GM got out in the early 1990s. Now the latter two companies have returned and are making inroads into the market, he said.

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