Why Michigan State Police Cars Are Blue And Called ‘Blue Gooses’

Police cars here in Michigan vary in appearance. In Grand Rapids, the police department's cruiser design hasn't changed since its overhaul a little over a decade ago. But the Michigan State Police patrol car has, at its core, been the same for over 70 years. These cruisers have kept their iconic blue color for decades, making them one of the most recognizable cars on the road.

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But did you know the blue color earned these patrol cars a curious nickname you've likely never heard? Here are the quick facts on why these blue patrol cars are known as "Blue Goose."

Michigan State Police via Facebook

Michigan State Police & The "Blue Goose"

According to a Facebook post, these patrol cars adopted their distinctive blue color because Commissioner Joseph A. Childs decided in the 1950s that the cars needed "some life." Before the blue color, state patrol cars were black, with a gold shield on the driver's side door and a gold strip along the car. It was a standard-looking police car, but Commissioner Childs wanted to do something different.

So, in 1954, the color swapped to the blue we all know today. But that change didn't go over well with the officers at the time, who nicknamed the new patrol cars "Blue Goose' after a "well-known commercial bus line of that time."

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The Blue Goose lines ran from Detroit to Toledo in the 1920s, but were acquired by what would eventually become Greyhound buses that travel around the Midwest. These buses were all blue, much like the new patrol cruisers, hence the nickname.

Clearly, the color eventually stuck with the troopers, and it remains so to this day. So next time you get pulled over, try name-dropping the Blue Goose and maybe the officer will let you off with a warning.