Checker Taxi
[citation needed] The vehicle is comparable to the London Taxi with its iconic, internationally renowned styling, which went largely unchanged from 1959 to keep production costs down.
Hotels, department stores, and office buildings embraced the amenity, but often limited access to their facilities to a single cab company.
Checker Taxi did not own its own cab-manufacturing company, but principally used the Mogul Taxi, a purpose-built cab model manufactured by Commonwealth Motors using its sturdy chassis under a body built by the Lomberg Auto Body Manufacturing Co. Commonwealth's strapline was based on chassis strength: "The Car with the Foundation" used 5 in (130 mm) chrome-nickel alloy steel channel to build its frame.
[2]: 67 Morris Markin, a clothier from Chicago, Illinois, earned a fortune by supplying uniforms to the United States Army in World War I; he made a $15,000 personal loan to Abe Lomberg and took over the auto body manufacturer after Lomberg defaulted on the loan, renaming it to Markin Automobile Body in 1920.
[4] Meanwhile, Markin also had lured engineers Leland F. Goodspeed and James Stout from Kalamazoo-based Barley Motor Car Co., manufacturer of the rival taxi Pennant.
[2]: 68 [4] Markin began buying up Checker Taxi operators' licenses in 1924, gaining full control of the company in 1937.
The fighting between the two cab companies escalated to the point of warfare, sparked by the murder of Frank Sexton, who was attempting to organize taxi drivers.
Finally breaking from the Mogul Taxi ancestor, Checker introduced the Model K in October 1928, riding on a 127 in (3,200 mm) wheelbase and powered by a 6-cylinder Buda.
Rather than eliminate the capacity of Yellow Coach, General Motors entered the taxicab business in New York City as Terminal Taxi Cab.
General Motors operated Yellow Coach as a subsidiary until 1943, at which time the company was merged with GMC Truck Division, and manufacturing shifted from Chicago to Pontiac, Michigan.
In August 1933, Markin sold Checker Cab Manufacturing to Errett Lobban Cord,[6] but bought it back again in 1936.
Meanwhile, the large, heavy Checker Model T, introduced in 1932, featured an 8-cylinder Lycoming engine, the same one that powered the classic Cords at the time.
The 1935 Checker Model Y featured attractive front end styling reminiscent of its contemporary concern sibling, the Auburn.
During WWII, Checker, like other American automakers, switched to wartime production, building material needed by the U.S. Armed Forces.
In 1954, New York City revised its specifications for taxicabs, eliminating the five-passenger rear compartment requirement and stipulating a wheelbase of 127 in (3,226 mm) or less, which effectively took Checker out of the market.
A brand-new 120" wheelbase body-on-frame design was introduced in December 1956, called A8, and that basic body style would be retained for the duration of Checker production until the end, in 1982.
Originally flat in the A8 with a thicker "C" pillar, the rear window on later models wrapped around a thinner roof-line, affording improved all-around visibility.
For 1960, Checker introduced the A9 series taxi, as well as for the first time, a passenger sedan to be marketed to the general public, the A10 Superba.
To the public, Checker cars were advertised as a roomy and rugged alternative to the standard American passenger sedan.
A Marathon station wagon (Model A12W) was also offered, but buyers preferred style and power over practicality, so the Checkers saw limited sales with the public.
Rather than allow Checker drivers to begin buying different brands of cars, Markin began selling licenses in New York City.
1968 models featured round side marker lights on fenders along with shoulder belts, and 1969s introduced headrests for front outboard seating positions.
1973 and 1974 models replaced the chrome-plated bumpers for larger, beam-type units that were painted aluminum and protected the lights in a 5-mph impact.
[citation needed] Checker limos offered vinyl roofs with opera windows, power-assisted accessories, and luxurious upholstery.
The company continued operation at partial capacity making parts for General Motors until January 2009 when it declared bankruptcy.
[10] Because their styling changed little during its production run from 1958 through 1982, many film producers were not careful to use period-correct Checker cars in their work.
In the early 1950s, just before the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, a number of well-worn Checker A2s and A4s were shipped to Finland to address a taxicab shortage.
