At $11,000, Would Buying This 2011 Ford Crown Vic Be A Crowning Achievement?

The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Crown Vic says the price is firm, and checking out the car will show why. Let’s see if that firm price is worth checking out at all.

From the start, the 1996 Chevy Corvette LT1 we looked at yesterday had two strikes against it. One of those was a literal strike from an SUV that left the car with a damaged corner. The other was a reported overheating issue, and while not as obvious as dinged-up paint, was all the more damning. All that made the ’Vette something of a hot mess that could not be overcome by a $5,995 asking price. That led to a reluctant but decisive 58 percent No Dice loss.

While Chevy’s Corvette may have built a reputation as an icon for lovers of American sports cars, so too did the Ford Crown Vic sedan among the country’s law enforcement and government gadabouts.

This 2011 Ford Crown Vic CVPI comes from the very last year of not only the model, but the car, and the Panther platform upon which it is based. Per the ad, this one has seen some love and care in the ensuing years, as well as a lot of massaging and updating.

Here in 2024, thirteen years, two owners, and a mere 59,290 miles since new, it’s up for sale. It comes with the laudable boast of being in immaculate condition and the promise that all customizations are easily reversible as the original parts will be included in the transfer.

From the factory, the 4.6-liter Modular V8 under the Crown Vic’s hood made a rated 250 horsepower and 297 lb-ft of torque. This one has been modified with what the seller describes as “Stage 1 Comp Cams” and a Magnaflow exhaust, meaning it might corral a few ponies more. It also has a cold air intake topped with a cone filter, but those tend to alter the engine’s sound more than its output. According to the ad, the four-speed automatic behind that massaged Modular engine shifts smoothly and without issue.

The car looks the part of a hot sedan too. This likely started out as a Plan Jane CVPI and not a Police patrol car, as it lacks the A-pillar spotlight and interior hard mounts. It does have a “certified calibration” 140 mph speedometer and a sticker on the dash warning not to mount junk in the trunk longitudinally lest you die. That’ll make for a fun conversation starter with passengers.