The Checker cab is of course one of the all-American automotive icons, so it should not come as a surprise that folks have taken to dressing up civilian Marathons as taxis.
In a vintage review of a Checker Marathon, I titled it “An SUV With A Trunk”. This one sitting next to a Jeep Cherokee really shows that to good effect.
It’s not easy determing the vintage of these Checkers, but with its highway guard rail bumpers, this one is from 1974 or later.
This is what the Marathon is all about: gobs of rear seat room, enough for a couple of fold-up jump seats tucked against the back of the front seats in some versions. The fact that this was a civilian Marathon is all-too obvious from the interior.
Piloting these was more like driving a half-ton pickup than a car. But the visibility was good, and they’re not really very long either.
The most recognizable face of any American car?
Related CC reading:
Automotive History: An Illustrated History Of Checker Motors -by P.N.
Lodgeside Classic: Checker Aerobus – Twelve Passengers, Eight Doors, Four On The Floor by P.N.
Curbside Recycling: 1976 Checker Marathon – The Last Fare by Jim Klein
CC Memoir: My Checkered Career With Checker Cabs By Kevin Martin
Curbside Classic: Checker Marathon – The Brooklyn Bruiser by W. Stopford
Hey look thin line, whitewalls! When I wrote up a Marathon taxi wannabe a while back, it has full fat whitewalls and this caused some consternation.
Also, I found a complete but weathered Checker Taxi in an Atlanta area junkyard last week. It was pretty surprising to see but cool.
I remember Carly Simon having one at her Martha’s vineyard summer digs years ago….
I recognize that car! It belongs to Daniel Bones, charter member of The Malaise Car Club of Oregon.
Neat that you recognize it!
I’m not sure why the owner wants to be driving around in something that looks like a taxi (although isn’t). I’d think that he must encounter a least one person a day who tries to flag him down…and then is ticked off at him when he doesn’t stop, because he’s not a taxi. I’m not sure I could handle knowingly generating that amount of social friction with my ride. But maybe that’s just me.
To your comment Jeff, a lot of people in the US outside NYC, Chicago and other places on the East Coast have no idea what a taxi is. Or that you can flag them and not use a phone app. Now if it was a Prius with an Uber sticker on it … though the TAXI license plate could cause confusion.
And to Paul’s comment about it being the most recognizable face? Conceptually true, but Tesla, RAM pickup, or even older Mustang are probably more recognizable to most people today. But happy to see it posted here as a reminder of times past.
Awwww, shirley there are still folks out there older than the age of 30! 😉
Oddly – given the city’s orientation to youth and techies – Boston still has taxis that you can flag down. They were never yellow Checkers though. Nearly always have been white cars of various makes…mostly notable for driving very slowly and erratically (Boston cabbies are the worst, period). Nowadays they’re nearly all Camry Hybrids. And some Priuses (sp?). They still drive horribly.
I sat in the back of that particular car back before he decided to tempt fate by painting it yellow. There’s almost too much legroom. If you’re not careful,
you could experience something akin to vertigo… BTW, Dan and the other Oregon Malaise Aficionados are a fun bunch to hang out with. I recommend their annual meet-up in June for anyone interested in unremarkable cars and cars from The Great Brougham Epoch.
Hey you spotted me! Of course the day you take these pictures was the one day where I had my side Checkers removed since they were getting replaced haha.
It’s a ’76 and you are correct, it’s an A12 so it was never a cab. However, I’m slowly turning it into a period correct NYC can from the late 70s.
Hi Daniel, Sweet Checker. I’ll flag you down next time!
I used to drive a blue Checker Marathon. Back in the ’60s and ’70s Maxwell Cab Co. ran blue Checker cabs based out of 54th st. and City Ave in Philadelphia. Quite often people would attempt to flag me down, sometimes getting upset when I didn’t stop for them.
Nice rear leg room, and those are real bumpers.
Ironically, the front seat appears like it would offer better ingress and egress, as the door is more parallel with the seat. You slide in or out, immediately sideways. Rather, than climbing forward to get out. And shifting backwards to become seated.
Many modern SUV-based taxis, offering excellent ease of entry and exit.
As the owner is my good friend, I’ve piloted this fine Checker a few times. I must say, it drives nothing like an SUV. In fact it was literally the least intimidating automobile I’ve ever driven and I suspect that’s by design. 25 seconds in and I was like “I could see doing a 10 hour shift in this.”
Niedermeyer, we of the Malaise Car Club of Oregon need to get you behind the wheel!!
Weird, so the owner had something unique and now its just like every other Checker and not unique
Nice to see this being loved and used at it should be .
-Nate
Eugene? I’m a Duck… I remember a Niedermeyer from my days in the College Inn. Any relation?
No. Moved here in ’93.