CHEVROLET MAKES THE LARGEST POLICE FLEET SALE IN HISTORY . . , to the State of California for up to 2375 1982 Chevrolet "impala V8 four door sedans. The purchase represents more than $18 million for the GM division. Delivery will begin in late April or early May of this year. Love Chevrolet of Folsom, CA, will be supplying the initial order of nearly 700 units. The cars are equipped with Chevy's 9 CI heavy-duty police package. Units will be utilized by the Highway Patrol and other state and local enforcement agencies. Bids had come under protest when rival company dealers felt their cars had the edge in mileage: however a quick in California law allowed the Chevy's to be purchased, much to the ill feelings of a Dodge dealer who felt his company. A related story should have gotten the contract. A related story has the treasure of Pennsylvania blocking the purchase of375 Ford sedams for state use because the Ford bid was $373,796 higher than a bid for the same number of Ply mouths, even after state agencies had ruled out the Chrysler division because wheelbase of cars was 1.3 inches shorter than Ford's.

CADILLAC AND OTHER LARGE CAR LINES ARE DOING WELL , . . and company officials at the GM division like to believe it is not because only rich people can afford to buy cars these days. While total industry sales for 1981 compared to 1980 were down 4.9 percent, Cadillac's actually rose by 8.3 percent to 230,665 cars in the United States. Reasons cited by company high-ups for recent success include Cadillac's coverage of the luxury market, from Cimarron up to limousines, as well as the fact that many prospective 1980 buyers stayed out of the car market and invested in money-market funds. Also counted among the reasons were a fuel economy increase fleet-wide for the line, a fine dealer organization and the belief that in hard times, consumers will acquire items of lasting and proven value.

IT'S OFFICIAL: HERTZ IS UP FOR SALE BY PARENT COMPANY RCA . . . as confirmed by Chairman Thornton Bradshaw in New York. An analyst says that if RCA can get between $600 and $700 million for Hertz and use the proceeds to pay back current debt, RCA could cut their debt-to-equity ratio from the current 57 percent to 38 percent. Also, the sale with some other RCA divisions could eventually gain the company up to $1 billion. Names cropping up in the buying market for the biggest daily renter include American Express and Sears, Roebuck. Investment bankers, however, are noting that any finance company would make a good potential suitor for the company. RCA has already sold Banquet Foods and Random House in their cash-raising effort, and ridding themselves of Hertz would help, according to the company, as the rental firm is too interest- sensitive for the company to keep afloat.

GOVERNMENT DEREGULATION OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY ... is an increasingly popular subject on the editorial and convention lecture circuits. Recently, the State of Washing- ion announced mandatory emissions inspections for all cars and tight-duty trucks 14 years old and newer. A Certificate of Compliance is necessary before a registration will be issued. The Clean Air Act is the target of some federal authorities and industry spokesman, as they claim it and laws like the one in Washington add to the cost of ears and trucks. Skeptics point out that the cost added is only about $300 to $400 per unit, higher for some trucks. Given the Japanese advantage of some $1500 per car and light truck, advocates of continuing the Clean Air Act maintain a $300 cut in the price of a vehicle wouldn't make much of a dent. Battle lines are being drawn; spokespeople for both sides are letting their voices be heard.

SHORT TAKES . . . Officers for 1982 for the Canadian Automobile Leasing Association include Jack Carmichael of City National, Bruce Charland of Avis, Ed Gibson, Paul Langlois of Ademco, Don Cooke of Gelco, Tiff Trimble of Jim Pattison Leasing, Michel Fabien of MIL Leasing and

Doug Fulford of Gorries National Leasing . . . Hatfield Auto Auction has set March 16 for the grand opening of their new facilities, with a cocktail party and champagne breakfast planned for industry leaders, bankers, and fleet/leasing company personnel . . . Former US. Secretary of Transportation Neil Goldschmidt has been elected to the Board of Directors of Gelco Corporation . . . Bridgestone has agreed in principle to purchase Firestone's plant in Nashville.  The factory in question produces radial truck tires . . .  The International Taxicab Association's Annual Convention and Trade Show has been pegged for the Sahara Hotel,  Las Vegas, from October 17-21 . . . Mid- March   National   Truck  Equipment meet   at   the  Superdorne  in  New Orleans is promised to be the biggest yet . . . Six of the ten top cars in Japan in 1981 were Toyotas, three were Nissan and one was a Mazda . . . Ford has established a "ship-through " arrangement to facilitate after-market installation of pickup box covers and interior equipment. . . The California Highway Patrol is looking at the purchase of some 400 Camaro Z,28s, Pontiac Trans Ams and Mustang GTs for use as pursuit cars: manual transmissions are in the works for these units . . . ARA Services has been awarded a five year contract to maintain and manage 230 vehicles for Collier County, Florida . . . NAFA announces that Lee Iacocca of Chrysler will keynote their Denver 25th annual conference from May 2-5 . . . Wickes Corporation, owner of Gamble's C&M Leasing, is divesting itself of a number of holdings, stating they want to "concentrate on retail divisions" . . . Nissan says they will build a 110,000 square foot parts center in Memphis, the fourth facility for the company in Tennessee; company has also announced an automatic transmission for their Stanza and Datsun 310 models . . . Ford inks a pact with Fuji Heavy Industries of Japan   to   supply   windshields  for Subaru cars for export to the United States . . . American Association of Equipment Lessors reports little use of "safe harbor" provisions in Mr. Reagan's recovery plan, as lessors note fluctuations in marketplace.