In the 1960s, Japanese authorities took an unusual approach to highway patrol by customizing four Porsche 912s for police duty. Porsche 912 might seem an odd choice for law enforcement, but these rear-engine sports cars offered the performance needed for high-speed pursuit on Japan's expanding expressway network.

One unit served Kanagawa Prefecture from 1968 to 1973, patrolling the Daisan Keihin and Tomei Expressways. During its five-year service, it covered over 155,000km and once helped apprehend a speeder clocked at 178 km/h. Unlike typical police vehicles that face scrapping after retirement, this car found a second life when engine failure ended its active duty.

After being retired in 1973, the Porsche spent 26 years on display at a police academy. Weather exposure eventually took its toll, leading to its sale at auction to a scrapyard in 1999. Six months of negotiations secured the car's recovery before it could be dismantled, making it the sole survivor among the original four units.

Today, this restored relic represents a unique intersection of automotive history and police innovation - a testament to Japan's experimental approach to highway safety during the country's rapid economic development period.