Unwanted Attention: What Types of Cars Attract Police? 🚔

04 Mar 2016

Most of us have been in a car pulled over by the police at at least one point in our lives. It’s obviously not the most joyful experience in the world, and the car you’re driving has a definite affect on how much police attention you attract. That being said, which cars are the worst? Having owned a large variety of different types of cars from different eras, here are my experiences:

The Japanese Sports Car

This was my most recent car, and it attracted some serious police attention for being such a modest looking car (to my eye). It was almost completely factory, but it still prompted some friendly neighborhood officers to turn around to follow me for a mile or two on more than one occasion. The car wasn’t excessively fast in a straight line, and that’s probably what saved me from tickets.

Unwanted Attention Rating: 3/5 🚔🚔🚔

The Euro Hot Hatch

This one was surprisingly under-the-radar. Not once did I get hassled or followed by cops. My best guess was that either cops didn’t know what it was, or the silver color helped it blend in. Either way, this was probably one of my best overall turbo sleeper cars.

Unwanted Attention Rating: 1/5 🚔

The Old School Muscle

Although it may not seem like it, this is the best car I’ve ever owned for avoiding police “attention”. Even though it’s loud, fast, and red, I’ve never even been close to a ticket in it. It would be inaccurate to say cops don’t look at the car, but the end result is that I basically get a free pass since it’s a classic. I once drove past a cop with open headers, no hood, and no installed seat belts. They didn’t look twice.

Unwanted Attention Rating: 1/5 🚔

The Modern Muscle

I owned my Mustang longer than I’ve owned any other car, and it still holds the record for the most tickets I’ve ever received in any single car. I got pulled over for everything from speeding to dead headlights (and everything in between). This car was a complete cop magnet, and I was hassled to no end. I loved the car, but you couldn’t get away with anything.

Unwanted Attention Rating: 5/5 🚔🚔🚔🚔🚔

The Bike

While this one isn’t specifically a car, it’s still worth including. The color alone was enough to catch some sideways glances from johnny law, but I never actually received a ticket on it. That being said, riding it is just asking for a traffic fine.

Unwanted Attention Rating: 2/5 🚔🚔

What are you experiences with getting pulled over? Post them below!

Comments

2003 Mazda RX-8, with spotlights on the roof, and (most importantly) a number plate beginning with 1CE (ice). Confirmed with multiple officers as an attraction, in a bad way.

+1 on the modern muscle. My GTO is a cop magnet

Any Subaru Impreza because we all know they’re straight piping.

Old Diesel Banger from Japan. Rating: 3/5. Even though the only thing wrong with it is the oil leak, for some reason every cop I drive past either pulls me up or follows me for a bit. Well, they used to, until the local cops figured out who’s car it was and began ignoring it. (Thank god I’m relatively good mates with one of the officers)

I have a hunch that police stereotype by rim choice. If you have stock looking rims and suspension, you’re gonna have a good time. Even slightly lowered cars with moderately flashy aftermarket rims might make police aware of what type of driver is behind the wheel.
My Cooper S has never gotten me pulled over, for what it’s worth.

I rarely get pulled over in my volkswagen

When I bought my current vehicle (1982 Ford Bronco), I managed to drive that thing home 3 hours on the highway, past border patrol, highway patrol, city officers, and such uninsured, no license plate, and half the lights working right. Thing has a Ford 351w motor, headers, dual exhaust, and not a single cop even glanced at me