From what I learned in the 1980s or so, what Texas used then was a push bar built by a California company. Not OEM, but aftermarket specifically for the police car market. If a replacement was needed, the company in California was the only place to get them. Not sure exactly how that company came to "get the business", but they did. That is what a larger Chrysler dealer parts person told me back then.
Pre-dating that a bit, I suspect that if somebody in TX wanted the push bars pictured built, there was somebody that could do it. The "Smash-Hit" chrome grill guard was popular for pickups back then, made in TX, too. For them to do those 1968 push bars for the State would have fit right in with what they were already doing for pickup trucks, as to the basic design and attachment methods.
The later-model "Hi-Rise" bumper guards were later aftermarket, too. I suspect they were added at the selling dealer rather than on the assy line? In later years, they were popular rather than the later tubular push bars. The bid specs could have specified such, but it was up to the local delivering dealer to figure out how to get them, or install them after the corporate operatives found where to get them (drop shipped to the dealership) . . . if the parts were not normal production/accessory kit items.
In TX, from what I could determine from looking at the cars and talking to service people, the Texas DPS had a huge maintenance facility near Austin, TX. The cars were shipped and accepted at that location. After acceptance, all of the state-desired items were installed. Overhead light bars and spot lights, push bars, headlight flashing modules, etc. prior to them going to the various places the cars were needed. In many cases, the State Highway Dept repair facilities could do normal maintenance or "failure" repairs, unless the local dealerships were not contracted to do such. The local dealership here in town was that repair facility for the DPS cars.
When the cars were retired, the overhead lights and other things were removed by the same facility, then the cars were auctioned. So the story goes, if you bought a car and it cranked and started, it was yours. Obviously, some saw an easier life than others.
In about 1975, we happened upon a used car lot in Cleburne, TX that was filled with 1973 ex-DPS cars. In the metallic colors that I'd seen parked at the DPS regional office in Lubbock, TX. All had BFG Police radials on the "wide base" wheels with hub caps. 400 HOs, rear sway bars, etc. All in very good condition and cosmetics. Obviously "detective" cars than patrol units. That was neat!
Just my observations. YMMV
CBODY67
