| Corgi Rescue Pacer |
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although the vast majority of Pacers were sold to individuals for personal use, some were acquired by fleet operators. for instance, they did appear in rental car company inventories during the production life of the model.
other AMC vehicles (chiefly the Matador sedan) were offered in special configurations for taxicab and police fleets. AMC also built right-hand-drive sedans and small Jeeps for domestic use by the Post Office Department (faciliting letter carrier access to mailboxes).
although the Pacer has not seen widespread acceptance in these applications, it has not been completely foreign to public service.
diecast toy Pacer coupes were made by Corgi in two varieties: a Pacer X and a Rescue Pacer in the attractive livery shown below in this artifact from the collection of the Pacer Farm Traveling Museum:
| Corgi Rescue Pacer |
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the "rescue" label suggests a Pacer operated by a paramedic or rescue squad. although we are as yet unaware of any Pacers actually placed in this service, if times of danger we would certainly prefer to be rescued by a Pacer over any other vehicle. the box in which this toy came helpfully provides alternate text labeling it as a rettungswagen and voiture de secour, offering the hope that Pacer rescue service might be available in German- and French-speaking areas.
whether this toy was based on an actual prototype remains unknown.
founded in 1983, the D.A.R.E. program is an outreach initiative operated by police departments to prevent substance abuse and violence among juveniles by increasing their awareness of the consequences of drug usage and gang involvement. many participating police departments have assigned special vehicles to D.A.R.E. team personnel as a promotional activity. these vehicles are often acquired by donation, purchase or seizure during drug enforcement activity.
one of the latest (and perhaps even the widest) additions to the list of unusual D.A.R.E. police vehicles is this 1975 Pacer DL coupe recently placed into service by the Freetown MA Police Department:
| Police Pacer |
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digital photos: Freetown MA Police Department
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this police Pacer has been retrofitted with law enforcement accessories such as push bumper and electronics including police lights, siren and external speaker.
the vehicle was purchased from 85-year-old Bedford MA resident Eunice McCullough by Big Wheel Trucking of Freetown MA, with additional support from East Coast Electronics and volunteer effort contributed by Freetown Police Department officers.
information and photos provided by Officer Scott Rose of the Freetown Police Department.