As Prohibition ended in 1933 and as bootlegging began to become less profitable, gangsters began to seek new sources of revenue, often turning to bank robbing. Armed and armored cars thus became the rolling stock for these jobs, and it's known that Al Capone used at least a couple Cadillacs in his trade. So, apparently, did the Dayton Police Department.

Steve Grismer, a retired sergeant from the Dayton PD, who is now with the Dayton Police History Foundation, recently sent us a picture of a 1930 or 1931 Cadillac V-8 apparently modified for an unusual duty: Stopping bank robbers before they could get away. Equipped with bulletproof windows and tires, a fortified front bumper that allowed it to smash through brick walls, and a heavy steel radiator shield, the Cadillac also featured enough racks inside to hold a virtual armory of machine guns, shotguns, grenades and bulletproof vests.

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