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CHP Captain Matt Guthrie and former Commissioner Spike Helmick join Jay Leno’s Garage to walk through five pursuit-rated cars spanning four decades of California Highway Patrol history, plus the department’s then-new Ford Explorer. Beyond nostalgia, the conversation digs into what actually separates a genuine pursuit vehicle from a civilian model with a light bar. It’s a rare, firsthand look at police fleet engineering most drivers never get to see up close.
Jay Leno walks a row of retired California Highway Patrol cars with two CHP veterans, flipping on sirens and climbing behind the wheel of machines that once ran down real muscle cars on real highways. One Dodge-based cruiser is cited at a genuinely startling top speed, and the comment section spent as much time dissecting the officers’ body language as the cars themselves. Watch to see which detail from this walkthrough nobody was supposed to notice.
Built entirely by one owner in a home garage and driveway, this 1968 Mustang started as a rust-free 289 two-barrel A-code car and emerged with a period-correct-looking 302 V8 swap, a custom twin front sway bar setup, and Spring Time Yellow paint. The goal was a reliable daily driver capable of real track days, not just cruise nights. Read on to find out what else went into the build.