The first generation Taurus was on top of the world during the latter half of the eighties. This resulted in the bull being featured in some major pieces of pop culture for quite some time, which I’ve previously discussed. 1987’s Robocop was the first and arguably the most visible of these, so it comes as no surprise that a movie replica of the squad cars is still cashing that nostalgia check over twenty years later.
The realistic scenario here involves our current reboot fad of reviving old franchises. With the new movie opening this week (to middling reviews, by the way) there is probably no better time for the owner to unload this car if he’s getting tired of it.
Regardless of the seller’s intentions, this is still a pretty cool piece of movie history. Now the ad calls this a replica, so I’m not sure if this was an actual car used in the production of the film or not. But who cares? It’s got a working computer prop and Robocop’s ID card. It looks like the interior is in showroom condition as well.
Out in the perp’s hangout spot, you’ve got some pretty sweet bonuses: some police gear from the movie, a replica pistol, and what looks to be a box containing a model of the “real” car.
Under the hood is the venerable Vulcan V-6. Seems to be in good shape, and the description of the ad backs this up. Over $4,000 in maintenance should do that to a car. One of the repairs includes a new heater core, which was a known problem area in these cars. My own bull had the same issue, and my mechanic quoted me at about two grand to fix it. That was the main reason I got rid of the car. But if it were a movie replica, I might have reconsidered going through with the replacement.
Check out the ad here.
Man, I remember these from the movie. They were just not mean at all much like the police in that movie. Felt like these were the parking enforcement police…Cop cars have to rear drive especially when they are painted matte black. “I’d buy that for a dollar!!!”
Yeah, It should be something with reclining leather seats, that goes really fast, and gets really shitty gas mileage! Alright.
Like a 6000SUX!
lol, that was one of my first thoughts too.
The Taurus fit this movie pretty well. The 6000 SUX was very poorly done and not at all believable.
Man! Look at that sweet plastic woodgrain on the dashboard!
All kidding aside, I always loved these Tauruses even though I was a GM kid back in the day. I still remember driving one of these 88’s in High School driver’s ED class in 90′
And it was in LA of all places, before they slashed all cool classes like that. Like that, I mean wood shop, metal shop, auto mechanics. Damn! I’m old!
Three years before Robocop came out, there was a science fiction movie released in 1984, called ‘Runaway’. It starred Tom Selleck, Cynthia Rhodes and Gene Simmons. lol
I remember seeing it on TV a few years after it was released, and was amused as it featured Mercury Topaz police cars as patrol vehicles of the future. It probably seemed quite plausible at the time in 1984. Although, they sure looked funny (besides seeming too small) in this role, when I watched it a few years later.
Who knows, maybe the Robocop producers were inspired by this movie.
I think I read somewhere the Topaz Interceptor got a power boost to 105 HP.
Poor Tom, look at that outfit. Forced to turn down the Indiana Jones role due to his Magnum P.I. contract and look what happens.
Well, at least moviegoers got to see Gene Simmons well coiffed and with nice suits.
Wow, I remember this movie. Not sure why….
That’s the movie poster in German, “Runaway, Spinnen des Todes”.
You should here Tom Selleck nachsynchronisiert, speaking fluent German that is.
“Hey du, Bro ! Hebt die Hände hoch !”
Definitely a clone and not an actual car from the movie. The movie versions had the “vented nose” piece that I believe was only offered on taxi versions of the first Taurus.
The first generation Taurus offered a real police package (55A) which had the vented front end. However, it was only on the 1990-91 models (the package was introduced in 1990). The 1992 Police versions were restyled and did not include the vents. The police package also included the 3.8L V6, and it performed quite well against the full size RWD cruisers of the era. In 1990, it actually out accelerated, out braked and was faster around the road course than a 351 LTD Crown Vic in Michigan State Police testing. Only the 5.7L Caprice out performed it. But like all FWD police cars to date, they didn’t hold up durability wise. The current Taurus or as Ford calls it “interceptor” is yet to be determined.
Correct, the Tauruses from Robocop aren’t police package Tauruses, since they didn’t come out until after the movie was made. I only remember the police Taurus since my university had a bunch of them as campus patrol cars, they were the only police Tauruses I ever saw in large numbers.
The 1992 police Taurus lacked the stacked triple-slots but DID have a single slot in the front “grille” panel for added airflow.
This movie got one part of the future right; Taurus police cars. At least the modern ones look intimidating
I remember how futuristic these cars looked to me when they first came out. Everything else was square, their round shape looked totally exotic. They still don’t look dated really, IMO.
I still believe the most epic movie Taurus was the bad-ass one Frank Drebin pursued in the driver’s ed Corsica.
Damn you, “Naked Gun”.
I remember that, with some chrome spinners on the stealies for some reason. I remember the wood paneled Truckster Taurus from Christmas Vacation. What about the Taurus vs Lumina demo derby from Days of Thunder?
“Little Miss Sunshine” stars a VW van, but there’s a firstgen Taurus at the end that, surprisingly to me, didn’t get crashed into by the stars’ near-uncontrollable Bus.
Sorry and all that but Mad Max has the best black fake Ford police car with his V8 Interceptor that was likey the inspiration for this tepid example, epic fail try again.
That battery they have in there is top of the line!
From what I recall, the Taurui used in the original Robocop had round sealed beams installed under plastic where the flush headlights were on the regular cars, originally there was supposed to be a special police car for Robocop, like a Batmobile, it was designed and built, but they decided at the last minute that it looked too silly and they went with the Taurus. Ford didn’t sponsor any of the cars in the movie, supposedly the studio asked for some help and Ford refused them flat out, which explains why all the blue ovals are painted over on the movie cars.
There were 2 6000 SUX’s made too, using 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass sedans from what I’ve read.
I’m curious how bad the “Robocopmobile” must have been, considering they kept the 6000 SUX.
I wonder too, I have never seen a pic of one, but it must have been pretty ridiculous.
Here’s a Taurus with the sealed beams under the lenses.
Now that actually looks a little more “raw, unfinished badass,” instead of “trailer-park spray-can special.”
How about that red Taurus wagon that got destroyed in the 2nd Childs Play movie? That was epic.. almost made me wish my parents owned one.