In the 1980s, a crime wave was building in the U.S. that would culminate in all-time historic highs by the end of the decade. But one rear-wheel drive coupe was brave enough to stand against the forces of injustice with mighty 5.0 V8 power... and that car was the Fox-body Ford Mustang.

Now, you have the chance to own two cars that begat the legend. that aren't just ordinary Mustangs. One is an engineering mule, the other is a pre-production prototype. The price? Just $21,500, or about the price of a . Not bad.

Both cars form the genesis of the Special Service Package (SSP) Mustang, and both were used for testing and evaluation by law enforcement in 1982. The prototype was tested by the California Highway Patrol and resulted in the agency's order of 400 SSP Mustangs. The seller claims it was the !, the one Ford used to bill as "the car that chases Porsches for a living." Because they're cops and the Porsches are speeders, get it?

The 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled today is the latest in a long line of Ford squad cars.…

The engineering mule was also loaned to the Texas Department of Safety, as well as Ford itself for further development of SSP vehicles. That one currently does not run, but it could with some TLC.

They're being sold as a pair in Tennessee and are most certainly an interesting find, and probably quite intriguing to any Mustang collector.

for lots more details on both cars, including affidavits that guarantee their authenticity. Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself.