Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: The Checkered Past of the Checker Model A Continue reading the Original Blog Post
When I drive my Deuce hi-boy in rain I get "rooster tails" from the tires. With the way the taxi cab has its fenders cut out, his taxi must throw the water forward.
Personally, I think these are cool looking, to each his/her own. I gotta say I like the unique unorthodox rides, even thought about getting an early firetruck or police car or other commercial antique vehicle just to break the mold so to speak.
Of all of the cars I have owned over the years, the two Checker 4 door sedans, you see pictured here, were my favorites. Built like a tank and could take a hit as well. For a car of this size, it had an incredibly short turning radius. Both were 1965's and both had good, smooth running GM, 283, V-8 engines. Easy to work on and parts were not a problem either. Tons of room and could carry a ton of stuff. My hot rod friends would give me static about my Checkers, but they never bitched when it was time to pile in and go somewhere. One year they gave me the Checker book posted here for a Christmas present. I would not hesitate to own another one of these great automobiles. The white one was my dads, the brown one, was a deal too good to pass up! Thanks for the write up @Jive-Bomber.
The automobile equivalent to the fashion sense Herb Tarlic from WKRP in Cincinnati...wide polka dot neck tie with vertically striped bell bottom slacks and white shiny dress shoes. This car breaks ever rule of basic design principles. Its creepy, wierd and looks like something from a horror movie. No way Id get in this car after midnight on a dark rainy NYC street in 1930 or 40 something. Great read, thx for sharing!
Looks a whole lot like an "attempt" at customizing - to beat/top the customizers at their own game. Customized ~40 Lincoln-ish, & some other for-the-times-&-even-back-to-the-30's hi-end custom builders on the factory chassis-types. I didn't & don't like a lot of those, either... Wealthy did, but those cars were sorta "exclusive", so this being "every-mans" car, & a temporary rental by the minute, at that, well... ;( . It's been said: "What has been seen, can not be un-seen", but I came across this the other day, & it might be helpful: Marcus...
I've always been fascinated by the Checker Model A and wondered if any of them were still around. Even though they were bizarre, you'd think more than one would have survived. Maybe they all got scrapped for the war effort. There was also the DeSoto Sky View cabs that had extended rear passenger compartments and glass panels in the roof. They looked more conventional, though.
These cars are indeed amazingly rare. Not surprising considering the number built and the fact that nearly all of them were driven into the ground over a relatively short time span. They were obviously designed to serve a very specific purpose. They needed to be durable, roomy, comfortable, easy to service, at least somewhat stylish and be instantly recognizable as a taxi. Here's a photo of a Checker Model Y that was on display a few years ago at the "Eyes On Design" show at the Edsel Ford Estate in Grosse Pointe, MI. It's probably the only one I'll ever see, except in the background of an old B&W movie. It was displayed with a handful of other odd Checker models.
Being around cars my whole life, I watched the video you posted a while back, spotted this mysterious taxi cab buffoonery on wheels and was stunned there was an old car I had never seen before. That sent me down the google rabbit hole and discovered what you posted. Still interesting, still ugly as sin.
There is a whole building dedicated to the Checker cab at the Gilmore museum in Michigan. A great display. E.L. Cord owned the company for a while.
The Jalopy Journal
