DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. auto giant Ford Motor Co. said Friday it would close out production of the Crown Victoria police car from an Ontario, Canada, plant in 2011.
Ford told members of the Canadian Auto union it had no replacement planned for the Crown Victoria, the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.
The St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario also produces Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car models.
Ford spokesman Robert Parker declined to elaborate on the company's plans for the popular police vehicle. "We expect our plans to be firmed up by the end of the year," he said.
But Parker said building police cars "is not a business we take lightly."
"The company is committed to it," he said.
In the first half of 2009, Crown Victoria sales dropped 30.9 percent to 21,949 compared to the same period of 2008. Ford stopped selling the model to the public in 2007.
Ford did not confirm rumors it would replace the Crown Victoria with a police car based on the Taurus, the newspaper said.
