In the early sixties some of the luckier members of the Victoria Police patrolled the mean streets of Melbourne in specially constructed muscle cars. In 1960 Melbourne’s Canada Cycle & Motor Company in Melbourne gained the rights to assemble Studebaker product in Australia. They produced a series of special two-door pursuit cars for the Wireless Patrol fitted with the more powerful V8 from the Studebaker Hawk. Giving out 180 bhp, it was a very potent machine by Australian standards in the early '60s.
Painted sky blue, with a flashing light on the roof and ‘Wailing Joe’ sirens on the front mudguard, the Vicpol Studes were capable of exceeding 100mph if necessary. One was severely damaged when it rolled at 85mph on its way to a D24 emergency at Montmorency Railway Station.
Larger (and slower) 'Tank' Ford Fairlanes were also used as police cars but the Lark was the car of choice if you were in a hurry.
De-commissioned cop car Larks were raced by members of the Victorian Police Motor Sports Club in the first production car endurance events. Once the brakes were beefed up and the fragile standard wheels were replaced with mags (courtesy of club patron Bob Jane), a former police Lark won its class at the Sandown Six-Hour International races in 1964 and 1965 - and was doing well at Bathurst until the steel wheels shattered under the strain. The drivers, Allan Mottram and Fred Sutherland, were working police officers during the week.
The Lark has another claim to fame. These were the first cars to be featured on early episodes of Homicide.
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