Hector - +1 great idea for a topic
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My fascination with Mustangs began as a young man growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, MO. I was fortunate enough to have parents with the wherewithal to purchase a vehicle for me prior to turning 17 years old. My first car was a 1966 Ford Mustang, which was red with a black vinyl top and interior plus a 289-V8. It served as a reliable daily driver for the next seven (7) years. More importantly, however, it was my introduction to the Mustang world! I owned that Mustang for 14 years before selling it after buying a 1969 Mach I.
I began driving at the same time the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) added Special Service Package (SSP) Mustangs to their arsenal. Although never pulled over by an MSHP Mustang, I would have the opportunity to admire them from afar over the next 8 years. MSHP Mustangs regularly prowled the single lane highways near the rural Missouri town where I attended/graduated from college. The SSP's were the hottest cars on the road at the time!
My last memories of in-service MSHP Mustang SSP's would be with my first employer following college graduation. I worked in the west suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri and periodically had the opportunity to observe them while commuting to the office. The MSHP used multiple colors, which significantly increased their stealth and the difficulty spotting these police vehicles. Fortunately for me, though, I was never the subject of seeing one of these Mustangs in my rear view mirror with emergency lights flashing.
A fascination with Mustang SSP's would go untapped until after my relocation to Minnesota some eight (8) years later. While looking at the magazine stand of the Barnes and Noble bookstore near my home, the November 2004 Mustang Monthly cover caught my attention. In the top right hand side were two (2) Mustang SSP’s pictured and the caption “Cop Cars! Special Service Mustangs” referencing an enclosed article. I proceeded to open this magazine and read the ensuing article with great interest. Who would have thought that any of these survived? And even more interestingly, who would have thought people were actually restoring these Mustangs?
Well it wasn't long after that I began researching SSP's in earnest. That same time I missed an opportunity to pursue a 1993 Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) SSP that was for sale by a gentleman in Michigan. That SSP has since been through a few different owners and now resides with its owner in Minnesota. I kicked myself for a long time but we had relocated with my employer to Minnesota a couple years earlier and I had recently bought a 1969 Mach I. Just was bad time and no money to fund another Mustang.
The bug stuck and a couple of years later I bought my first SSP. A couple of years after that I had an opportunity to buy my 1993 MSHP SSP from a fellow forum member. I was not going to miss another opportunity at one of those and later this winter nearly 2 years afterwards I've completed returning it to in-service condition. Now nearly 6 years after buying that Mustang Monthly magazine I have no more non-SSP Mustangs in the garage, 2 SSP's have come and gone and 2 SSP's are in the stable (89 MSP and 93 MSHP). I'm hooked and have the bug for sure...get a ton of enjoyment out of this niche of the Mustang hobby!