did someone hail a cab by Richardphotos

Photography • Historical • posted on Dec 14, 2007

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Description

I took this yesterday. I see some of these old ''Marathons'' around Dallas and actually worked on one many years ago it was made by the Checker Cab company.After the recession that started in 1979 and lagging sales, coupled with a change in the taxi industry, and ever imposing new government regulations, Checker closed the doors on the sixty-year-old assembly line. The Checker Cab was considered the Rolls Royce of the taxis in it's hey day. It was a sad day on July 12, 1982 when that last iron horse rolled off the assembly line in Kalamazoo, bearing the green and ivory colors of Checker Taxi of Chicago. Sixty years prior to this, the first cab bearing the same color scheme, rolled off the same assembly line and onto the streets of the big cities, proudly carrying it's passengers to their destination. It will not be long though before the cumbersome cab with all that room inside will be nothing but a fond memory to many people as they squeeze into the little compact with their suitcase on their lap reminiscing about the good ole' days. The company in still in existence, expanding it's outside contract work, mainly in the sheet metal stamping and sub-assembly work for the automobile industry.http://www.checkertaxistand.com/Checker_History thanks for viewing and any comments. no smoking only cab please I would like to recommend this gallery http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1578592&member

Comments (97)

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jocko500

6:35PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

wonderful looking old cabs. i remember them too

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annie5

6:36PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

Really beautiful..great capture Richard! :)

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npauling

6:59PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

A lovely capture of a past era. It always amazes me why they make things smaller when everyone is getting larger. It is such a pleasure to have plenty of room to move.

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Ionel

7:14PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

This is very beautiful image, Richard! Bravo!!!

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bpclarke

7:50PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

A classic beauty. Excellent capture. Bunny

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Artlan59

9:19PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

Awesome capture. It's nice to see that some of these old relics are still around.

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Cytisus

9:36PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

I rode in a checker once years ago, your photo brought back the memories, Thanks excellent shot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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alhak

9:50PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

classic shot!

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Windworker

10:18PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

A classy blast from the past!

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amota99517

10:29PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

Wow!! What a fantastic find and such a great shot. This is fabulous!

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2Loose2Trek

11:12PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

I guess I hadn't realized that Checker has gone out of business. 'Course I haven't seen many around the past decade. Really nice photo!

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irakika

11:21PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

Very nice car and photo!

frankie96

11:55PM | Fri, 14 December 2007

Another victim of over regulation...I remember reading reviews of these vehicles...

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angel_dust

12:46AM | Sat, 15 December 2007

Great ole time taxi!

stolta

1:01AM | Sat, 15 December 2007

Excellent sho,t great lighting!!!!!!!!!!

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drifterlee

1:22AM | Sat, 15 December 2007

When I was in highschool I had a friend who's parents owned one of those cars, but it was not a cab. I guess they made regular cars, too. Cool shot!!

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Thelby

1:38AM | Sat, 15 December 2007

Road in one of these Many, Many Times and the ROOM, My, My, My. You could lay out a double matress in the backseat, LOL and put 10 of your friends in the trunk ro sneak in the Drive-Inn, ................................................................................................................. Truly a missed era, a missed time ............................................

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