The Humble Checker Cab

[christophe]

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My favourite is the A4.

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

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My favourite is the A4.

Isn't that particular A-4 the only surviving one in the world as of now?

[t walgamuth]

That has some nice lines!

[rockne10]

I drove and dispatched taxis in State College, PA back in the early '70's. Most of the cabs were Plymouths; but we did have two Checkers; one with jump seats and one without. I much preferred driving the Checkers. They felt substantial.

[8E45E]

Isn't that particular A-4 the only surviving one in the world as of now?

Is that the car in the Natmus Museum?





Craig

[Studedude]

There probably is a checker club.

Yes, there is:

http://www.checkerworld.org/membership

A good friend of mine, a professor at Oklahoma State University, was president of the Checker Club for some time. He was quite a fellow, an inventor, professor, model builder, and business man.

He loved Checkers so much that he not only owned several, but opened a taxi service in Stillwater, OK using Checkers. Unfortunately, the demand was not there at that time for the service, but he and friends staffed the office 24 hrs, 7 days, in case someone would call for a cab.

RIP Richard!

http://www.icta.club/former-cccofa-president-dick-thomas-1929-2017/

[t walgamuth]

The front looks a lot like a Caddy but unfortunately the rear resembles a 40ish mopar....some of the least attractive designs of the era.

[lumpy]

I remember back around 1975 when I hung around the local garage down the street , there was an old gal who had a civilian checker . She swore by that car, I remember driving It in and out of the shop a time or two, I was 15 at the time and I remember what a tank it was..But she drove it around like it was a VW beetle

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

The front looks a lot like a Caddy but unfortunately the rear resembles a 40ish mopar....some of the least attractive designs of the era.

Isn't the 40s to the early 50s the time when former Chrysler Corp. CEO K. T. Keller dictated that all of their products must have a very tall roofline in order to accommodate his tall self wearing a hat?

On another note, I have seen a Checker stretch limousine in taxi livery parked next to a rather tired service station not too far from my house recently. I'll try to get pictures.

[8E45E]

The front looks a lot like a Caddy but unfortunately the rear resembles a 40ish mopar....some of the least attractive designs of the era.

Here is the rear of it:



Craig

[8E45E]

On another note, I have seen a Checker stretch limousine in taxi livery parked next to a rather tired service station not too far from my house recently.

Does it look like this?



Craig

[t walgamuth]

Here is the rear of it:



Craig

That looks better than that other angle showing the rear end. The taillights would never pass muster for a Caddy....too simple, but the bumper is massive! Look at that dude with its massive sturdy looking bumper guards.

[8E45E]

The taillights would never pass muster for a Caddy....too simple, but the bumper is massive! Look at that dude with its massive sturdy looking bumper guards.

Well, Packard DID make a dedicated 'taxicab' version, complete with opening rear window as this Checker has: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...per-Fleet-Taxi

Craig

[christophe]

I noticed something odd (at least to me!) on the license plates of this A4. What would be the purpose of having front or rear written onto them?

[8E45E]

What would be the purpose of having front or rear written onto them?

Driver aptitude test??

Craig