Roger Rogerson’s Ford Falcon rejected by museums and collectors

The car owned by disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson needs a new home -- but finding a taker has proved challenging.

The car used by infamous cop-turned-killer Roger Rogerson in one of the state’s most notorious murders – and likely a lot of other illegal activity – is up for grabs.

Rogerson’s 2005 silver Ford Falcon station wagon has been sitting in a secret police holding yard for more than a decade since the corrupt former detective used it in the execution of drug dealer Jamie Gao.

Police seized the car that Rogerson was known for keeping meticulously clean while investigating the 2014 murder.

With the case ending in the disgraced former detective being jailed for life, and the 83-year-old dying in custody last year, police are now looking to offload the car, which will be crushed if it doesn’t find a home.

Roger Rogerson was jailed for life for murdering Jamie Gao. Picture: John Grainger

Rogerson’s car at a secret police holding yard this week.

Efforts by Rogerson’s longtime lawyer Peter Katsoolis – who Rogerson left the car to – to find a place for the car have so far proved unsuccessful.

A private collector of underworld memorabilia and a true crime museum have passed on requests to take the car as a donation. Even Rogerson’s family doesn’t want it.

The car has fungi growing on the edges of the windows and multiple six figures on the odometer.

Mr Katsoolis said the Falcon had “historical significance” and should be preserved in the same fashion as artefacts related to Ned Kelly.

Rogerson’s Falcon outside the storage unit where Gao was shot dead in 2014.

“This is in no way about celebrating Roger,” he said.

“But this incident and the police investigation and court cases that followed, marked a significant moment in Sydney’s underworld that should be memorialised. It would be a shame to see it destroyed.

NSW Police contacted Rogerson’s representatives on January 13 giving a seven day deadline to respond to whether they wanted the car before it would be scrapped.

The Justice and Police Museum at The Rocks politely declined to take the “interesting object” and explained Rogerson’s car was “outside our collecting capacity”.

A private collector of true crime memorabilia also declined.

Rogerson famously owned a cream coloured Jaguar in the 1990s and purchased the Ford several years before Gao’s murder.

It came as a surprise to many that he used his own car in the murder.

The station wagon was a frequent fixture in Rogerson’s trial.

CCTV was tendered to the trial showing Rogerson driving it to a set up location and then to a Kennards storage unit in Padstow on May 20, 2014, where Gao was shot dead.

Also at the storage unit was Rogerson’s partner in crime, fellow former detective Glen McNamara, who was jailed for life over the murder.

The two men parked another Ford station wagon behind Rogerson’s car and loaded Gao’s body into it.

Rogerson’s lawyer Peter Katsoolis has attempted to donate the car to crime museums.

Before he was exposed as a corrupt killer Detective Senior Sergeant Roger Rogerson was a celebrated police officer

They also took the 2.7kg of methylamphetamine Gao brought to sell the two ex-cops.

The next day, McNamara’s fishing boat was used to dump Gao’s body in the ocean off Cronulla, only for it to be found by fishermen in a surfboard bag 2km out to sea on May 26.

Police also seized McNamara’s boat, a 4.5m Quintrex, the boat’s trailer, and his hotted up blue 2005 Ford Falcon that was used to tow it.

Investigators also seized the white Falcon that was purchased specifically to transport Gao’s body.

Police also wrote to McNamara’s representatives on January 13 giving a seven day deadline to confirm they wanted the vehicles before they were to be destroyed.

It is understood McNamara’s family will take the blue Falcon, the boat and the trailer.

No one has claimed the white Falcon.