Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Restoring a Lone Star Impy No. 16 Ford Zodiac Mark III Motorway Police Patrol Car, in the Impy range from 1966 to 1968 and in the Flyers series from 1969 to 1976.

The civilian Ford Zodiac Mark III was the only estate car to feature in Lone Stars Impy or Flyers series. And with every diecast manufacturer worth it's salt needing a police car among it's offerings, the Zodiac was chosen to be modified into one shortly after it's introduction. It shared the number 16 slot in the range with the Imperial, bringing some American police flare. These were titled 'Motorway Police Patrol Cars' on their boxes.

The casting is modelled on the third generation of the Zephyr/Zodiac offering from Ford of Britain. Zodiacs were the high end luxury versions of the base Zephyr but all were built as saloons, meaning estates (as well as convertibles) were coach built, mostly by Abbott of Farnham. The Mark III was in production between 1962 and 1966.

As usual, I've gathered a few battered and bruised examples of both the Impy and Flyers Zodiacs all in varying states of disrepair. Aside from the transparency, nothing else is currently reproduced for the Zodiac. That meant I needed to permanently borrow a bonnet and a set of wheels from a donor. In addition, I needed to create my own set of police decals for the new bonnet.

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Music by Karl Casey
@whitebataudio
Hackers
youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4Of3lID84

Quattro
youtube.com/watch?v=SsEaNRF21B0

Rain City
youtube.com/watch?v=ZyY9nXO4QD8

Image credit:
Ford Zodiac Estate:
hertspastpolicing.org.uk/content/police-history/dogs/police-cars/ford-zephyr-six-mark-iii-475-pjh

1952 Ford Zephyr:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/1953_Ford_Zephyr_Mk_I_Saloon_%2812282686616%29.jpg/2560px-1953_Ford_Zephyr_Mk_I_Saloon_%2812282686616%29.jpg

1954 Ford Zodiac:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Ford_Zephyr_Zodiac_Mk.I_%281954%29_%289486750357%29.jpg

1956 Ford Zephyr:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Ford_Zephyr_%281956%29_-_9503294479.jpg

1963 Ford Zephyr:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Ford_Zephyr_4_1703cc_registered_July_1963.jpg/1280px-Ford_Zephyr_4_1703cc_registered_July_1963.jpg

1963 Ford Zephyr 6:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/1963_Ford_Zephyr_6_%2838973169990%29.jpg/2560px-1963_Ford_Zephyr_6_%2838973169990%29.jpg

1963 Ford Zodiac:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/1963_Ford_Zodiac_Mk_III_Saloon_%2810204103265%29.jpg/2560px-1963_Ford_Zodiac_Mk_III_Saloon_%2810204103265%29.jpg

1966 Ford Zodiac:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Geoff_Charles_testing_the_Zodiac_V6_%281464620%29.jpg

1972 Ford Granada (Consul):
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/1972-Consul3000GT-01.jpg/1280px-1972-Consul3000GT-01.jpg

#LoneStar #Diecast #Restoration