A fork of Rural Dictionary
Seventies slang for a police car, from the television show Adam 12. Adam refers to a two-person unit of the LAPD and the 12 to the fictional 12th district.
“Must be because I had the flu for Christmas and I’m not feeling up to par./It increases my paranoia, like looking in my mirror and seeing one of those damn lit-up Adam-12s.”
—David Crosby, “Almost Cut My Hair,” live, 1974
A television series produced by Jack Webb Productions, debuting on September 21, 1968 on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network, set in the Los Angeles, CA metropolitan area, featuring actors Martin Milner as LAPD Officer Peter Malloy, and Kent McCord as his partner, LAPD Officer James Reed. Series terminated in 1975.
"We're gonna watch Adam 12 tonight on TV. Wanna come over and watch it with us?"