White Rose and Fleer Police Cars and Helicopters

[Dick Williams]

White Rose began its police series with a set of 1949 Fords.  Dennis Deal, a retired Maryland State Trooper, was responsible for all research, planning and preparation of the White Rose series.  It began with cars made for the Pennsylvania State Police Centennial Committee to raise money for the 100th Anniversary celebration of the State Police.  They commissioned a series of PSP cars that were sold only to State Police troopers and civilian employees. White Rose made each car (later, they made a series of 4 Jetranger helicopters for the PSP Historical, Educational and Memorial Center to raise money for a State Police Museum in Hershey, PA) in the series, then also made a set of other models.  White Rose made the '49 Ford, the 1988 Chevrolet Caprice and the 1969 Plymouth Fury.  They also made a series of Mustangs that were not made for the Pennsylvania State Police.  Each series had 10-12 cars besides the PSP car.  Later, a few special order cars also were made (see list).  White Rose gave a bonus to collectors who ordered the entire set: the first bonus, for the '49 Ford set, was a display case.  For the Mustang and Caprice, they gave a special gold-plated model with factory demonstrator markings.  For the '69 Fury, the bonus was a New Hampshire State Police Fury, the first NHSP model authorized by the NHSP.  About halfway through the '69 Fury series, Fleer, a sports trading card company, bought White Rose (White Rose's main diecast business was making models with logos of sports teams). Fleer continued the contract with the PSP Centennial Committee and produced the 1941 Ford, 1972 and 1973 Furies, and the 2005 Ford Police Interceptor (Crown Victoria).  A few special orders were done (see list) but no series was made for any of these models although Dennis Deal (who continued to work on the series for Fleer) had hopes of doing some.  The importance of this series is that the White Rose '41 Ford and Fleer 2005 Ford are the basis for the First Response series (the Charger is a new model).  Dennis Deal is responsible for First Response, which is owned by the retail company Diecast Direct.  After Fleer went out of business, its assets were bought by Upper Deck, another sports card company. Dennis was able to buy from them the molds for the '49 Ford, the 1950 Ford four-door sedan (a mold made at the same time as the '49, but only one model was made, a special order for the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police with their symbol on it, not a real police vehicle), the 2005 Crown Victoria (this mold has been updated by First Response to the 2007 version with minor changes) and the '41 Ford.  (The Mustang and Caprice models were lost years ago; Dennis was not then able to obtain the Plymouth Fury molds.)

That's the White Rose/Fleer story and the connection to First Response.  I will post the list itself in another posting.

[Dick Williams]

Here is the complete list of White Rose and Fleer police cars and helicopters as far as I know (the * means there is a note at the bottom of the list):

White Rose/Fleer Police Models

1949 Ford 2-door Series
Pennsylvania State Police *
Virginia State Police
South Carolina Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
Maryland State Police
Florida Highway Patrol
Michigan State Police
Louisiana State Patrol
Massachusetts State Police
Indiana State Police
Ohio State Highway Patrol
New York Police Department ****
Delaware State Police **
Royal Canadian Mounted Police **
 
1950 Ford 4-door
Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police (mold made same time as the ’49 Ford but only used for this single model in blue and white with FOP markings)

1988 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 Series
Pennsylvania State Police *
Michigan State Police
Arkansas Highway Patrol
New York State Police
Maine State Police
California Highway Patrol
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Virginia State Police
South Carolina Highway Patrol
Florida Highway Patrol
Louisiana State Police
Gold Chevy Demonstrator Car ***

1991 Ford Mustang Series
Nevada State Highway Patrol
Colorado State Patrol
Florida Highway Patrol
Georgia State Patrol
New York State Police
Louisiana State Police
Michigan State Police
Kansas Highway Patrol
Texas DPS/Highway Patrol
South Carolina Highway Patrol
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
Gold Ford Demonstrator Car ***

1969 Plymouth Fury Series
Pennsylvania State Police *
New York State Police
New Jersey State Police
North Carolina Highway Patrol
Arkansas Highway Patrol
Tennessee Highway Patrol
Florida Highway Patrol
Wisconsin State Patrol
Maryland State Police
Minnesota Highway Patrol
Virginia State Police
Kansas Highway Patrol
Illinois State Police
New Hampshire State Police ***

1941 Ford Tudor
Pennsylvania State Police *
Connecticut State Police **
Royal Canadian Mounted Police **
Delaware State Police **

1972 Plymouth Fury
Pennsylvania State Police *
Royal Canadian Mounted Police **

1973 Plymouth Fury
Pennsylvania State Police *   
Royal Canadian Mounted Police**                            
 
2005 Ford Police Interceptor (Crown Victoria)
Pennsylvania State Police *

Bell Jetranger Helicopter
Pennsylvania State Police (4) *
New Hampshire State Police
Maryland State Police
Baltimore County (MD) Police
Michigan State Police **
California Highway Patrol **

* Ordered as a department-related fundraiser, available only to employees of the Pennsylvania State Police.  Cars were commissioned by the PSP Centennial Committee and helicopters by the PSP Historical, Educational and Memorial Committee (HEMC). The last two PSP helicopters were opened to public sales and are available on the HEMC website. 

 ** Commissioned by private retailer or museum and sold by that individual or business

*** Produced as an incentive for buying all cars in a series and given free to collectors ordering that series directly from White Rose

**** Part of a 3-car New York set of 1949 Fords (the other two cars were a chief’s car from FDNY and a plain civilian car)                  

[cops119]

I'm really looking for the ford 41 Delaware to complete this serie.

Gold models of almost each car ( chevy 88, ford 91 and plymouth 69 ) have been made in very limited runs and offer , usually to directors,chiefs of concerned Police dept ....

[MADCOP]

Hello DICK,
I consulted your list. I allow myself to complete your list.
I also have in regular series:

1949 Ford 2-door Series:
INDIANA
LOUISIANA
OHIO

1969 Plymouth Fury Series
TENNESSEE

1988 Chevrolet 9C1 Series:
INDIANA

1991 Ford Mustang Series
KANSAS
LOUISIANA
=======
On the other hand I did not know:
1949 COLORADO
and
1988 NEVADA & ILLINOIS.

Are this these three models also the regular ones? Do you have photographs of these cars? Thank you Eric from Belgium.

If you're from USA... HAVE A NICE INDEPENDANCE DAY

[cops119]

a little correction about the GRC/RCMP
both version Ford 40 and 41 made but not 49

Plymouth 69 exist
Florida. Maryland and Wisconsin

ford Mustang 91 exists
Florida

Ford 49
Colorado never heard of it ?
exists
Massachusetts

Caprice 88
Illinois and Nevada  ?? customs ?

[MADCOP]

Great in this case my collection is complete in this brand

[yann]

I've got some and didn't know the full story. Thank you Dick

[Dick Williams]

   Thank you to both MADCOP and cops119 for alerting me to the errors in my list.  I copied it from a list I had made and kept on file and some of the cars dropped off and others moved from one place to another.  I'm very sorry for any confusion.  I have corrected the list with all of the changes noted in the earlier e-mails plus a couple of other errors that the readers missed!  Please take another look at the list, I have now checked it against all the cars in my collection. 

It's correct that no 1949 car for Colorado exists, only the Mustang.  The Mustang series had some states that did not appear in any other set (Colorado, Oklahoma, and Nevada).  It also was the only car that was not made for the Pennsylvania State Police Centennial Committee.  Also, as cops119 says, there were no 1988 Caprices made for Illinois and Nevada.  However, Dan Coviello has made a number of custom cars based on White Rose and Fleer cars.  The list above has all of the factory-made, official releases for White Rose and Fleer.

cops119, I'm not sure what you meant about the RCMP being made as a "Ford 40 and 41" because White Rose and Fleer didn't make a '40 Ford, only the '41.  There was indeed a '49 RCMP/GRC car made and here's a photo of it:


All of the RCMP/GRC models were made for North West Police Products, which held the license from the RCMP to make their vehicles.  Elaine Adair told me that she wanted to do a Mustang and Caprice as well but was informed that these molds were lost.  (By the way, NWPP went out of business last year, I believe Elaine got a divorce and is now living in France with a new husband.  Many of the leftover stock was being sold on eBay for some time.  Not sure what company will get the license now for RCMP models?)

Again, I'm sorry for any confusion.  The list is now accurate (please tell me if it's not, there may possibly be a helicopter I don't know about) and I'll check more carefully in the future.  Thanks, friends, for alerting me to the errors.

[cops119]

Dick,

You're right about Ford 49 and Ford 41  ( RCMP/GRC) my mistake ....

We've got the full list now ( that's why i like forum sharing our passion !!!)

And I think Elaine lives in South of France  ( lucky she is !!) and sell sometimes on ebay France under the nickname Rollingsands
Canadianpolicecars got the license for RCMP models

AND still loooking for the 41 Ford Delaware !!!! I just send a message to the Delaware State trooper museum we never know !!!

[Garrett]

I wish White Rose had made and 1988 Texas DPS Caprice...It would have been a good looking car. :'(

[MADCOP]

Hello Garrett, I obtained a CHEVY 88 of the TX near Dan Coviello (Pocketcruisers on ebay.com). Here its work. It suit to me very well.

[MADCOP]

Hi Chris,
I make also research to find you one FORD 1941 of DE.





I found by chance mine after 2 years of research. The salesman had badly registered it what had like consequence that there were not many bidders. I won it for a reasonable price. Good research! Eric

[Garrett]

Very nice looking caprice. If you are ever willing to sell or trade it I am intrested.

Thanks yall,

Garrett

[MADCOP]

Hello Garret,

I am sorry, but I am attached too much to my cars.

But I am a very good customer of Dan. I consider him like a friend.
I can ask him to made one same car and I will ask him to send it at your home.
Stay in touch. Eric.

[Dick Williams]

Unfortunately, the Delaware State Police Museum sold out of the '41 Fords some time ago (only 500 were made).  They still have the '49 Ford and their first car, a Road Champs Crown Victoria, available plus the 1:64th scale SpecCast Crown Vic if anyone is interested in these.  I wrote to one of the Museum Directors and he said they are interested in doing another car, but he knew Fleer was out of business and thought their molds had been lost.  I told him about First Response and the status of the old molds so maybe they'll be interested in doing another car - or a Gearbox Expedition?

[Garrett]

Dick,

How much do they want for the Crown Victoria??

[cops119]

that's good news. ...replicas from Delaware are so rare !!! And I confirm the 500 only made for this 41 Ford

[Dick Williams]

Garrett,

The Museum wants $25.00 for it.  It was made years ago by Road Champs only for the Museum.  After seeing the silly prices that the Pennsylvania State Police committee got for their Road Champs car (also an exclusive, available only to PSP employees), the DSP Museum sold that car for way more than it really was worth - some were sold commercially by the diecast retailer who arranged its production for the Museum - I think the retail price was around $28.  I don't know how many they made, but I'm sure it was more than 500 since it is still available.  It didn't sell that well at those prices and the retailer took a hit on the ones he bought for his own sales, I believe.  However, the Museum still sells it for $25.  Here's the link if you're interested:  http://www.delawaretrooper.com/museum/Museum_store.htm

[Garrett]

Thanks! That is a bit much...Irving, TX Police has a store front where they still sell some Road Champs Crown Vics for only $5.00!!! The cars were made around 1998 or 1999.

[CFDBASHER]

I remember back about seven years ago trying to locate some hard to find White Rose 1/43rd cars. Ebay really didn't have "everything" then, so you had to search Toy Shows for special items.  I have some of the above in my collection, with some conversions. White Rose/Fleer at the least made something other than Crown Victorias for collectors. Here are some photographs:

New Hampshire Fury I


88 Chevy Test Vehicle (Chrome)


Penn FOP 4dr 50 Ford (Kind of Ugly, even for a Commemorative issue):


FDNY 49 Ford Chief's Car:


PSP 91 Mustang (re-decaled):


FHP 91 Unmarked Mustang (stipped, repainted, with 5.0 wax rubon script, and Ford logos):


DEP 88 Chevys:

[Dick Williams]

By the way, the 1950 Ford 4-door sedan in Chuck's photos was made only in that one version - the markings are for the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, not an actual police department - and now all of sudden it's appearing everywhere!  Walt Conroy is selling them, Jeff Halpern at policecarmodels.com is selling them, and they're all over eBay - usually for only $5-7.  Someone (maybe the PSP FOP) must have released a mother lode of them.  That was one of the molds that Dennis Deal obtained, so it may show up again in the future as a "real" police car. 

Also, I think that Pennsylvania State Police Mustang is a custom?  I have no record of the PSP ordering that one?!

When I mentioned the outrageous prices the PSP was getting for their Road Champs Caprice, those were aftermarket prices.  When that Caprice first came out (and was available only to State Police employees), it usually sold for around $15 resale.  However, there was such a Road Champs collecting craze then, and so many collectors had to have every Road Chumps car ever made, that the prices went through the roof.  The famous "$250 Caprice" came out of that and became so legendary that Road Champs even mentioned it on the back of their final blister packaging, after they hired Jim Post, the president of Police Car Owners of America, as their resident "expert" - he was an expert on cars, but apparently didn't have much clout with the company because they continued to make major errors on their cars. 

That was the era when companies tried to attract business by advertising some well-known police car guy as being their technical advisor.  In addition to Road Champs and Jim Post, Racing Champions had Greg Reynolds and Liberty Classics had Monty McCord.  Those guys seemed to ensure that markings and, usually, emergency equipment was accurate, but some of the basic car models used and sometimes colors continued to be inaccurate.  Liberty Classics ruined what could have been a great model of the NC Highway Patrol 1957 Ford by using gray paint instead of silver (something Road Chumps often did)....

[CFDBASHER]

Dick, at a conference, where I brought some of my customs for display, somebody tried to sell me the PSP Caprice for $150. Way too much, even for a PSP fan. Then another tried to pawn off the Roadchamps FHP CV 60th Anniversary Commemorative for $50 (I believe they were still being offered for $15 at the time). That really took Big Cahonnes, and these guys were cops.

I guess its how bad someone wants a particular model, and how much, if any, research they've done before purchasing. But back several years ago (pre-Gearbox), all that was available were Roadchumps at around $3.50 a pop, so anything rare got big bucks in comparison. Boards like this and Manny's have very useful info, and really save collectors grief and bling.

By the way, the Mustang is a LA SP with the door shields removed with NANPR.  WH did not issue a PSP Mustang, but they should have, even if it wasn't a prototype.

[cops119]

list

[statie80]

Chris:

Thank you for publishing the list.  I believe there should be a couple of additions:

1941 - Pennsylvania
1949 - RCMP
1950 - Pennsylvania FOP (4 door)
1972 - Pennsylvania

I am not positive, but I do not believe a 1940 RCMP or 1950 Connecticut was produced-at least I have not seen them.  If they do exist, now I am going to have to find them......

[cops119]

my mistake i attached the wrong list... correction is made thank you John

[ward17219468]

I have a gold plated RCMP 1972 Plymouth Fury that Dennis Deal personally gave to me.  Don't know how many were made.

I've known Dennis Deal personally and have assisted him on some of his projects.  It is interesting to see the metal cars flat, attached to post, like a plastic model kit. Then the Chinese put them together like plastic models.  I've seen the unpainted versions. Also had the opportunity to see the photo pages and color pages before the car is made.  A lot of time goes into those small 1/43rd scale metal cars.

[cops119]

If I'm right the gold edition cars were stricly limited to 10-12 models...

[ward17219468]

I will take some photos of my gold RCMP 1/43rd White Rose car and post it.  It is tough to photo because of the gold which reflects everything.  Besides light, everything in front of the car reflects in the car and photo.

[Dick Williams]

Chris:

Thank you for publishing the list.  I believe there should be a couple of additions:

1941 - Pennsylvania
1949 - RCMP
1950 - Pennsylvania FOP (4 door)
1972 - Pennsylvania

I am not positive, but I do not believe a 1940 RCMP or 1950 Connecticut was produced-at least I have not seen them.  If they do exist, now I am going to have to find them......

Thanks, Statie80 but all those cars are on my original list.
Dick

[Deputy185]

I may have missed it while reading through the other posts, but there was also an Indiana State Police 1988 Chevrolet Caprice.  Just wanted to let everybody know, in case it hadn't been mentioned.