UPDATE, August 25: The last-ever highway patrol XR6 Turbo has been sold at auction for $94,500.

Bidding on the ex-NSW Police Falcon closed last night after a last-minute rush, which saw the price double in just over an hour.

With Pickles’ auction fees included, the total reaches $99,763.

The price is higher than what was paid for the last road-registered Falcon, which fetched $81,500 in 2016. It also beats the XR6 Turbo Sprint build #1, which took $92,500 during the same year.

At time of writing, the new owner’s identity remains unknown.

The story to here

AUGUST 19: Back in May, the NSW Police Force’s Facebook page released a video marking the retirement of its last highway patrol Falcon XR6 Turbo. Wearing the callsign CLM232, the FG-X was destined to be decommissioned and sold off.

Fast forward to this morning, and we were scrolling through the latest Pickles listings in search of cool vehicles. That’s when spotted this tidy, low-kilometre FG-X XR6 Turbo wearing the same plates as the last highway patrol (HWP) car, with bidding due to open on August 20.

Assigned to the Surry Hills highway patrol unit, CLM232 travelled just 86,165 kilometres in its service life, having performed mostly short trips around Sydney.

While the kilometres place the Falcon below typical police thresholds, after more than four years of service it was apparently starting to show its age.

According to Senior Constable Claire Hume, the Falcon also made several 800km round trips to Port Macquarie during its service life, alongside enforcement duties along the Victorian border.

It’s believed to have been the last serving XR6 Turbo highway patrol car anywhere in Australia.

Finished in Winter White, the car rolled off the line at Broadmeadows in September, 2016, mere weeks before the last-ever Falcon on October 7.

Every HWP example packed the standard 270kW Barra turbo six, but all NSW cars also received FPV-spec, four-piston Brembo brakes. After being stripped of any NSW Police equipment and signage, the FG-X now shows 86,353km on the clock.

It’s being offered by Pickles with its full service history and original CK20VT plates, with registration until December, 31, 2021. It has also got a valid NSW roadworthy certificate.

Some of the last Falcons in police service are operating in WA, though they’re all naturally-aspirated six-cylinder cars.

Victoria retains a single XR8 Sprint, though it does not see operational duties. Two of the limited-edition cars were outfitted in 2016. The yellow car was seemingly destined for museum display, but it was destroyed almost immediately in a major crash.

The final police VF Commodores are also facing imminent retirement, with remaining cars due to go by next year at the latest.

There are 44 SS Commodores remaining in the NSW Police fleet, while around 20 more are scattered across other states. A variety of internationally-sourced vehicles now fill out the majority of the Aussie police arsenal.