Car Spot: Checker Marathon

The pride of Kalamazoo was created by a Russian immigrant …

Nothing screams New York City more than the bright yellow Checker Cab. The spacious taxi served New Yorkers in the Big Apple from the 1960’s into the latter part of the 20th century before being replaced mostly by the Ford Crown Victoria and Chevy Caprice.

It all was started in 1961 by Morris Markin, a Russian immigrant, who founded the Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. in Kalamazoo, Mich. And it wasn’t long after that when the iconic bright yellow cab was used in cities all over the country and it’s the subject of this week’s car spot.

A MotorTrend Car of The Year Award would never be in the cards for Checkers as they were about capacity, usefulness, and durability. Special features included wide rear doors, large rear seats and trunks, and jump seats for two extra passengers.

Over the course of the Checker Marathon’s 22-year run, few changes were made. In 1964, a Chrysler V8 and an OHV Continental engine were both available as options for the eight-door airport bus version. Checker switched to 283-cid Chevrolet V8s and 230-cid six-cylinder motors for the 1965 model year, with 327-cid displacement options becoming available in 1966 and air conditioning was added.

But by the 1970s, traditional large sedans like Ford’s Crown Vic and Chevy’s whale-like Caprice were replacing Checker Cabs because they were considered “too big, too cumbersome, and too thirsty, so began to be squeezed out of the market. 1982 was the Checker Marathon A12’s final year of manufacturing.

Checker then became an automotive supplier, but in 2008 Checker Motors CEO David Markin became a victim of a Ponzi scheme started and run by Bernie Madoff. On Jan. 16, 2009, the 87-year-old Kalamazoo company filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Grand Rapids, MicI. At the time, Checker’s customer base included GM, Chrysler, Ford, Navistar International, and GM Shanghai.

Because the majority of Checkers were sold as taxis, they were beaten to death but the ones that remained in private hands are an interesting option for someone searching for something a little unusual. It’s not uncommon to find a Checker with 400,000 miles on the odometer. If you can find one, they’re pretty cheap. Hagerty values an 1982 at just under $10 grand. Certainly, something that will get lots of attention at a Cars & Coffee Event.

Thanks for stopping by. While you’re here, check out my other spots and some of Mark’s new car reviews. Come back next week for another spot along with some of its history and have a great weekend.