Bavarian State Police
During the 1950s and 1960s, the 501 radio patrol cars were widely used as police vehicles by many police departments in Bavaria, including Bavarian State Police and Munich City Police ("Stadtpolizei München"). The car with its relatively fast 145 km/h (90 mph) top speed by 1950s standards, was a blessing for police, as most criminals did not have easy access to faster cars like a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL or a Porsche. The traffic police units for country roads and Autobahns were even issued V8-powered cars, which were even faster. The police cars also featured a Lorenz radio telephone, allowing police officers to easily communicate with the dispatch. Munich police force used seventeen 501 patrol cars, which were used for about 10 years and about 130,000 service kilometers before being retired. The last two police cars were delivered to Amberg in 1965, after 501's production had ended. They were retired by 1971 due to rust issues.