Here’s some ads for 1962 taxi cabs, although Checker is conspicuously missing. Just as well, as that would undoubtedly win by a metered mile. Back then, the great majority of taxis were owned by cab companies, and drivers typically were paid a percentage of fares (roughly 50%). You’re buying for whatever size fleet you want to own, which could 100 or just a single one for yourself.
My choice does not include either of these Pontiacs; the Tempest’s droning and shaking big four cylinder would get tedious, and who in their right mind would buy a four door hardtop for a taxi? The idea of passengers swinging the rear door shut via the frameless window pane all day gives me the willies. Someone was asleep at the wheel when they put that Catalina hardtop in the ad.`
The big Chevy has a few things going for it, including the bulletproof Powerglide and 235 six (in its last year). But it’s bigger than it really needs to be, the manual steering is slow and dull, and the handling is mediocre. I drove a ’70 Chevy taxi with the 250 six, PG, manual steering and brakes, and it was pretty deadly. But it had well over half a million miles on it and still did the job, until one morning a ball joint snapped while stopping for a red light. That was the end for it.
This is an interesting prospect. It’s the right size, has pretty good rear leg room, although the high floor negates some of that, and it’s probably about as or more solidly built as any. Negatives are the iffy ohv six that liked to crack its head and the rather dull BW automatic (I’m assuming nobody still wants to shift gears on a taxi by this time).
There’s lots of appeal in the Valiant. Quite compact, and as good a handler as any here. The 170 /6 and TF make for an unbeatable balance of performance and economy. Not as roomy as some, but adequate. A compelling choice.
The Fairlane’s packaging is good, with pretty decent rear leg room in a still fairly tidy wrapper. But its lethargic 170 Falcon six teamed with the two-speed Fordomatic blunts its appeal considerably.
The Chevy II makes for a very pragmatic choice, in terms of rock-bottom low purchase price and operating costs. With the 153 four and PG, it’s not going to be very zippy, but it will be bullet-proof. Yellow Cab of San Diego bought only Chevy IIs through 1966, and ran them hard until they bought a big fleet of full-size 1970 Chevys to replace them. Did customers (or drivers) complain?
Pass. The combination of its size and weight (more than the Chevy) and the 223 six and two-speed Fordomatic makes this slightly more unappealing. I just couldn’t bear to look at that exposed shifter rod all day.
Bingo! The perfect taxi cab, just as it was by far the best car in its class generally. These were years ahead of the competition in terms of packaging efficiency, low weight, handling, and of course the unparalleled performance, economy and reliability of the 225 /6 and TF automatic. It’s no wonder that its B-Body successors became the most popular taxis until they were finally killed some 15 years later.
My first job at age 15 was manning a little two-pump Sunoco gas station on Saturdays. The owner also owned a small cab company; maybe a dozen cabs, all of them ’65 – ’66 Coronets with that drive train, except for one ’67 with the 318 V8, oddly enough. I used to come in to work early so that I could take them out for a bit of a spin, so I guess you could say I was a taxi driver at age 15, without a license. Good thing nobody hailed me! Yes; the V8 made the sixes feel slow in comparison, but with a heavy foot and no traffic on York Road at 6:30 AM on a Saturday, I managed to experience a bit of genuine speed from the sixes too.
Considering how big a sales disaster the 62 Plymouths were, in retrospect 60 years later they were pretty much the best choice of all in that class. But Americans buy their cars by the pound (and the inch).
“But Americans buy their cars by the pound (and the inch)”
And with their eyes. 🙂
In 1962 there were plenty of people who had either been burned by the purchase of a 1957-58 Mopar, or knew someone who had been. Bizarre styling with a bad quality reputation isn’t a winning combination.
“Bizarre styling with a bad quality reputation isn’t a winning combination.”
And what’s ironic is that – from the recent piece on Consumer Reports’ 1960s reliability data – Chrysler Corporation’s cars had improved by 1962 to at least average, if not slightly above average.
I can’t help but wonder if it’s because the cars were being built at a snail’s pace, since they were relatively unpopular.
You make a compelling case, and it’s hard to disagree – that would have been a pleasant place for a cabbie to spend the day. And taxi service might be one area where the car’s unusual looks might be a plus because your cab would stand out from the crowd.
I think the compacts are too small and while the full-sizers could squeeze in an extra passenger or two, I would bet that 90% of fares would be one or two people, so that extra girth is mostly wasted.
A year earlier and the Larks would have been in the running for me, but I am right there with you on that OHV six. Although people buying taxis in 1962 might not have been aware of that issue yet.
I’m with you on the Plymouth. In fact I’d be pleased and proud to have one in my driveway as my daily.
But I’d love the opportunity to drive a Tempest for a day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, much less sat in it.
Agree on the ’62 Plymouth in my driveway.
I’ve had the “pleasure” of driving a rope drive 4 cylinder Tempest. Never again.
What exactly did you dislike about it? I’d say thumbs down to a Tempest taxi because of both the rough Trophy 4 and the swing-axle rear suspension.
I was trying to think how the swing-axle would be a minus in taxi use. I guess if you had to do a quick U-turn to pick up a fare…..
Slow, shaky, noisy, vibration prone, thinly padded & uncomfortable seats. I never could get it to go fast enough to test the car’s handling.
It gave the impression of suffering from internal imminent destruction.
Yikes. Yeah, doesn’t sound like fun.
Anyone know if the center hump in the Tempest was lower or higher than other compacts? In any cab with RWD– and, especially a compact — the comfort of a middle passenger would be a selling point to me. In that space, Checkers had it all over their rivals. I owned a first gen Dodge Lancer variant of the Valiant, and it’s low stance, while giving the driver a sporty feel, might not make it my first choice in a line of cabs.
I would seek out a leftover ’61 Valiant (or Lancer) with the floor shift 3-speed manual. Clutching and gears aren’t an issue for me, even today, if I can do it properly but I want no part of a column linkage especially on a cab. Bonus if I could score a wagon, and I’m putting in an overdrive to pare down my gas bills as much as I can especially on those spread-out runs between downtown, airport, IBM and the further-flung colleges.
I don’t have strong opinions as to the cars themselves, but I’ve got to say that Chevrolet’s catchline of “Everybody’s Fare Lady” was awfully creative.
Chevy wins my vote on creativity alone here.
It’s brilliant, that’s what it is! At first I thought it was a riff on the film, but Wikipedia told me that didn’t open until Autumn, 1964. But the Broadway musical version of “My Fair Lady”, which opened in ’56, but didn’t close until the Autumn of ’62, probably after this brochure was created.
The ‘62 Plymouth gets my vote as well. The styling stands out even if it’s not to everyone’s liking, and the /6-Torque Flite drivetrain would have been one of the best you could get. Second choice would be the big Chevy, also a good drivetrain with plenty of room.
This one!
Bullet proof, inexpensive, upright roomy interior, and CHEAP parts.
Dare I say, obvious!
Until the winter road salt tore through the unibody!
Practical Pick: The Plymouth.
Style Pick: The Chevy, although the Plymouth scores high here too.
Nostalgic Pick: The ’62 Galaxie.
Fond memories there, although Miss Betty, the driver of a ’64 Galaxie (or Custom) station wagon in the story below may disagree with me here:
I’ve related this tale from my childhood here years ago, but a ’62 Ford Taxi driving way too fast, t-boned the ’64 Ford Wagon (I forget the wagon trim names now… It wasn’t a Country Squire, it was the next one down without the wood) in which we were riding as we turned left to cross the bridge. In the way-back were her two sons, her daughter, my sister, and me. The cab ran into us, spun us around 180 degrees, and deposited the wagon with its back end hanging over the edge of the Chesaco Avenue (then Hamilton Avenue) Bridge over I-95’s northbound lanes.
Our response as kids: “Can we do it again?!?!” Needless to say, Miss Betty was freaked out and told us to move forward very slowly. Thankfully, everyone was fine, although the cops were none too happy with the cab driver when they showed up on the scene. Surprisingly the two cars were pretty much drivable after that. Today (with modern equivalent Fords), each car would have been crushed, although it would have likely been a safer impact because of this. Oh, and we would’ve been in child safety seats, not bouncing around in the way-back, but where’s the fun in that? 😉 Kidding, of course…
My favorite taxi for the last 60 years, an Easter gift in 1962.
That is really cool!
Thank you!
I had a million promotionals, but this is only American car I have left. I love it.
Love it!
My family ran a fleet of taxicabs from 1980-1997. We tried all the brands at one time or another. The car has to fit a bunch of parameters to be used in taxi service.
-Customers like a big car with lots of room.
-The car needs to be low tech and durable.
-It needs proven mechanicals.
-Body hardware has to be durable, things like door hinges.
-They need cheap replacement parts.
-The driver has to be reasonably confortable.
I would choose a Chevrolet BelAir with 283 V-8, Powerglide, as well as PS and PB. This is based on my long history of trying all the brands.
-Ford- too finicky, poor electrical, weak body hardware.
-Chrysler- a close second to the Chevrolet but there were always quality control problems like water leaks.
Growing up in a metro area with individual mid-size cities and suburban sprawl on the perimeter, taxis weren’t that common. Or maybe they were and I didn’t notice them, as we never rode in them (buses, all the time). But I don’t recall any compact cabs, really until the Prius came along. Checker, various Big 3 including a few older DeSoto’s, but no Chevy II or Tempest. Our neighbors, family of 5, did buy a new rope-drive Tempest to replace their ‘55 Ford, and still had it when they moved out around 1970-72. It seemed very basic; I’m sure it was a four.
Back in 1962 Australia the taxi always seemed to be a base trim Holden. Simple, rugged, reliable, also slow, noisy and stylistically obsolete.
I know the Checker seems to hold a special place in America’s hearts, but I have to wonder whether its stuck-in-the fifties styling was a problem in the days before retro became cool. All of these others look a lot more in keeping with the times. Well, except perhaps the Studebaker; while I like Studes, it seems a bit out of step stylistically. And the fins on the Fairlane; fins on a new body in 1962? Seemed odd as a kid, seems even more odd now.
I have to think the Plymouth with cleaned up styling, would be the way to go.
Did GM’s soon-to-come intermediates see much taxi service?
I immediately thought the Plymouth (or Dodge) was the standout for this year before even reading beyond the headline, but I’m using 20/20 hindsight. In 1962 Chrysler had a bad rep from their quality-challenged cars from the late ’50s, and we didn’t yet know the slant six and Torqueflite were nearly indestructible. (the old Consumer Reports surveys from last week showed the early /6’s had some teething problems). So what would I have bought in 1962? I do think the Plymouth is the best sized – wide enough to be comfortable for three across but short enough to be easy to park. The ergonomics were probably the best of anything here as well, and it had more power than some others here. I’d probably have still gone with the Plymouth, and be lucky it was more reliable than expected.
Did the Checker immediately become a cabbie favorite? It didn’t stand out from the crowd as much when it was a new design as it later would, and we couldn’t be sure the design would remain unchanged for so long, or even that Checker would still be in business a decade later.
file:///Users/macuser/Downloads/playlist020110719192911.8036.jpg
I’m the diehard Ford loyalist, so not impartial at all.
FWIW, I peeked at Getty Images and early-1960s NYC cabs. Mostly full-size Ford, GM, Chrysler—-but then this (topical) pair as well:
Yes, Dodge was the big MOPAR fleet player in NYC cabs at that time and for long after. I believe after they dropped the 7 passenger rule in ’54, both Plymouth and Dodge cabs replaced the old DeSoto limousines, but for some reason – as in so many instances – Dodge won out.
I remember riding in, Coronets, Biscayes, and Checkers on my first trip, age 8 to NYC in the spring of 73. Interestingly, Dodge stayed with the B-Body, which fleet owners liked because it met the passenger space requirements neither the Chevy or Ford equivalents could, and it was cheaper to own and operate.
The owner/operator cabbies, from the old ones I talked to after moving here in 1990, all prefered the Checker. Of which precious few were left by then, but I did get in a handful of rides.
I started driving car service( what taxis were called in NYC outside of Manhattan) while in college in 1980. At that time the B bodies were known as the king of the streets. Lots of older Jewish folks also drove them as family cars and would get tired of being hailed as the cars were so ubiquitous that the shape made your hand go up. From 1985-1997 I owned a car service base. By that time most drivers replaced the Furys and Monacos, with Diplomats and Aspens but they had lots of suspension issues and were abandoned. By this time box Impalas and Caprices were getting affordable and they were the new kings of the streets up till the new millennia. Same thing about the shape, people would hail any box Caprice they saw. The Bubble Caprice never got traction and Panther Fords took over right until Uber put an end to the business.
As for Yellow cabs, Checkers were never close to the most popular. They had perfect space efficiency and a remarkable turning circle but rode like 1 ton pickups. Dodge B bodies ruled NYC medalion cabs from 1962 till 1978. Up till 1974 they were badged as “Dodge Taxi” rather than “Coronet”. Here’s a picture of car service drivers in Brooklyn the 1970s,
That pic makes me realize I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a Cadillac taxicab, but Lincoln Town Cars used to be everywhere.
It apparently was a fairly common form of downcycling, especially within fleets that do both VIP black-car service and metered yellow cabs, when one of the Lincolns got too shabby for the former but was still serviceable for the latte.
I concur. I drove limo for a few years in the mid 2000’s, starting with a ‘97 Town Car. It was retired in 2006, replaced by an off-lease 2006 Town Car – from a Ford executive. Anyway, the ‘97 still ran and drove well but with 750,000 km on the clock it was time to live out its remaining days as a taxi with the same company.
It was still on the original engine (oil changed weekly) but the transmission had been replaced at around 375,000 km. In the time I drove the car, it only needed two repairs – an A/C service and an electrical short fixed. When the short happened, I was at a stoplight in downtown Toronto with passengers aboard. I apologized and offered them cab fare (we were close to their destination) but they laughed it off and walked the few blocks (it was a nice summer evening). I waited for the tow truck and then took the streetcar home.
I remember an old guy with a 1958 Cadillac taxi in the 1970’s, he left the key in the trunk all the time and a little chain attached to it .
He wore a chauffeur’s uniform and cap .
This was in New York State, I no longer remember what city .
-Nate
Why would the last car (the Plymouth?) be “years ahead” in handling compared to the other cars?
I know we can’t always make assumptions from specifications but the Chryslers of this era had torsion bars up front and a live axle with cart springs out back. What was so special about the money suspension setup?
Stiffer structure (first year for the unit-construction B-body) compared to wet-noodle frames of the era, and far superior geometry compared to Ford or GM. Ford, in particular, used an outdated front end design, with archaic ram-assist steering, poor geometry, and the high-mount coil design put most of the weight high and up front, exactly where you DON’T want it.
The others may have been no better, but recalling my folks ’63 Ford with a big 289 V8 and Ford o matic, I can only imagine how slow that 223 6 must have been, especially off the line. Yeah, I know taxi’s aren’t sports cars, but my gawd, they have to be able to move, at least sometime.
For 100% city use, a taxi company could spec deep gears. 4.10s are no problem is the car never tops 50MPH.
Some NOS parts for Lark taxis are still available. A door panel for a ’62.
It depends on how I managed my fleet, keep them forever at rock bottom costs or trade every couple of years for resale value, passenger and driver appeal. I would go with a well equipped Chevy for the latter, hands down. Plymouth, assuming iffy build quality did not kill it early, Plymouth wins for the first.
Moving forward a decade. What do you notice in this picture that 73 and 74 Nova taxis have that regular models lack? Hint the 68-72 generation all had this feature that Detroit started phasing out in the later 1960’S..
It has to be vent windows!
Bingo 55delray! I never knew that until I recently discovered it on a Valaint comparison video on youtube .
Yes, nice observation! I remember an owner of a ’67 Camaro telling me the difference when I was unsure if his car was a ’67 or ’68 when I complimented on it. “You know the easiest way how to tell a ’67 from a ’68? Vent windows.” I saw this photo and had to share this screen capture from an episode of “Kojak” entitled “One for the Morgue” seen at the 9:52 mark. I was rather surprised to see a 1973 or so Nova operating as a taxi in New York City. Kojak did have some scenes (primarily interiors and minimal location footage) shot in Hollywood, BUT you can’t replicate the real New York anywhere. As Kojak’s Century is coming up toward the camera you can see the Nova taxi. Another episode had a Matador. Makes sense but I had always thought (assumed, making an ass out of me, at least?) the Taxi Commission specified acceptable vehicles and in addition to the standard bearer Checker Marathon, it was the typical fleet Ford Custom, Dodge Coronet, Plymouth Fury (or Savoy / Belvedere in earlier times), and rarely a full-sized Chevrolet.
Studebaker Lark taxi: rugged, simple-to-repair powertrain, ample passenger space, rock bottom fleet prices from a desperate carmaker. Given the 3–5-year life cycle of the typical taxicab. by the time the rust got it, it would be used up. Then move on to Valiant/Dart.
Paul, would that be Jimmy’s Cab in Towson? They’re still around.
Agree that the Catalina 4 door hardtop is a totally ridiculous choice for a taxi. I’m fact, in my many decades on earth, I’ve never seen a Pontiac taxi of any sort. Dodge and Plymouth intermediates seemed to hold sway in this market in the sixties and seventies, followed by Crown Vic Police Interceptors enjoying a second life. Rode in tons of taxis during my business travel period and was I impressed by the number of Crown Vic taxis still soldiering on after 300-400K miles. A plentiful supply of cheap replacement parts kept them running forever.
Today it seems that hybrid Camrys have taken over. Lots of hybrid Escapes as well.
Hybrid and regular Camrys are quite common cabs here in Toronto as well.
No; Adams Cab. They eventually disappeared, or maybe got bought out by Jimmy’s.
For taxi use, the Chryslers have two absolutely critical advantages (over and above the near-indestructible slant six): one is, of course, the 3-speed Torqueflite, while GM and Ford still used archaic 2-speeds. (Later on, taxicabs could even get a 727 behind a slant.)
The other is less-known but probably more important: Chrysler, across the board, used an ALTERNATOR. Ford and GM still used a stone-age generator, just like a 1929 Model A. That’s critical for two reasons: One, durability. Two, for a taxi, an alternator will charge at idle RPM. A generator usually would not.
I’ve been a driver for Hertz in the past but never drove a taxi. Obviously, taxis can be much older, but rental cars range in condition…some of the drivers really flew (I’m admittedly a slow driver; as we were paid by the trip rather than by time, I made less than minimum wage probably most of the time) but more than a few hit deer and totalled the car they were transporting (I drove in New England, into Quebec province). More than once I had to bring back stolen cars, or cars that had some problem (bad alternator wasn’t unusual) but once they got back to our home location, they were maintained pretty well, but of course lots of drivers abused them; I don’t know if maintenance can counteract that, which is probably why rental cars are bought new and typically sold around 30-40k miles on them, as they of course want minimal issues with their renters.
I know little about taxis, only having been a passenger; but I’d guess they have more than one driver (different shifts) so though there’s typically more than one different driver, there’s likely a bit of a dis-incentive to brutally abuse the vehicle (unless you’re preparing to quit) as you’re apt to get that vehicle assigned to you again (or maybe you always tend to drive the same one, don’t know how that works). I’m sure they are pretty well maintained since the customers ultimately have to get where they’re going and dispatching replacement vehicles is expensive and likely to make customer mad for the time lost. Still, it seems that taxi companies know somehow which problems are beyond repair, and also with some history which models tend to be durable and/or easy to repair.
Around this time my parents owned two Ramblers (a ’61 and a ’63) which might be candidates (they had wagons though rather than sedan which is more common for a taxi). My hesitancy in advocating one is that my Dad bought them so close together; he’s gone now so I can’t ask him why he bought the ’63 only 2 years later (both were bought new). If the ’61 was so bad, I wouldn’t think he would have replaced it with another Rambler. My Dad didn’t keep cars long, but 2 years would be unusual (other than a one-time dabble with a lease for his ’94 Sable but that’s not unusual for a lease)..
My best guess has to do with our use; we moved from LA California area to Pittsburgh in 1961, not sure if something happened to the car during the trip (vague recollection he went through a sandstorm but not sure if it was on this trip). Two years prior he’d driven his ’56 Plymouth the other way (not from Pittsburgh, but Massachusetts) but my sister and I were too young to hazard us in a long car trip, so we flew (propeller plane) to California. The ’61 was bought in Compton Ca, but by the time we got to Pittsburgh that would have been far away, and I’m guessing if it was in the sandstorm my Dad would have considered it his fault, nothing the dealer could do about where he drove the car.
But Rambers were considered pretty simple cars with durable engine (we had the 6) so maybe it might have made a good taxi.
I read the account that Curtis Redgap wrote as the son of a former Chrysler/Dodge/Desoto/Plymouth dealer, and one thing he mentioned was that one of Plymouth’s markets that got them though some lean times was fleet sales, such as to police departments, taxis, etc…that, and I’m a big fan of the ’62 Plymouth; it was one of the first toy cars I remember playing with (though I had a ’59 Plymouth fire chief pedal car before that). Still, liking a particular car has little to do with how well they’d do as a taxi, but I’d guess having slant 6 with an alternator plus torqueflite as well as torsion bar suspension would be a great combination for a taxi, with reasonable operating and maintenance cost. Maybe that’s why they were popular for fleet vehicles…..which raises a question in my head, need a fleet consist of one model of vehicle, or might you pick different models of a make (or brand, like Chrysler) and still be considered a fleet?
Anyhow, the ’62 Plymouth, as unsuccessful as it was for retail sales, would probably be a great choice for a taxi back then. Wonder if any are left after 60 years still serving in that capacity (even if with newer/rebuilt drivetrain).
I’ll admit that I have never driven any of these vehicles, although I have an idea of what they are like in terms of durability, size, and to some extent driving characteristics based on what I have read over the years, and definitely a Valiant or the Fury would be my choice. I guess the deciding factor would be cost of operation, although I doubt that gas prices were much if any concern in 1962, even to a taxi driver.
I’d agree, the Fury probably would be the winner of these top two choices. Size and prestige would factor into some fares, and who the hell wants to pay for a small car when they can arrive in something stylish. I’m a GM guy, but the Chryslers of this era were extremely attractive and offered compelling competition. What gives me confidence in such a choice is the Montreal taxi driver who had the similar ’63 Fury and racked up over 1.6 million miles, and only 260 miles or so on his way to clocking a record when it was totalled by a truck that ran a red light. Thank God the driver survived after giving such love to this magnificent vehicle, and the dutiful steed was restored through the kindness of a fan….I believe that it ended up in a museum after a major restoration. I don’t think any other on the list except the Valiant could compete with such a legacy. Go Plymouth! (wasn’t that a slogan???)