Checker Motors Corporation is a Kalamazoo, Michigan, based automotive subcontractor, that was once the manufacturer of the famed Checker automobile, the iconic American taxi cab. Checker was established by Morris Markin in 1922 through a merger of Commonwealth Motors and Markin Automobile Body.

History

Morris Markin, a clothier from Chicago, Illinois, became the owner of a Joliet, Illinois, auto-body manufacturer when its owner defaulted on a $15,000 personal loan from Markin. The facility made bodies for Commonwealth Motors who marketed the vehicles to cab companies under the trade name Mogul.

Concurrently, Checker Taxi ? a privately-owned cab company in Chicago that had no affiliation with Markin ? placed a large order for Mogul cabs with Commonwealth. Commonwealth itself was on the verge of bankruptcy, so Markin merged the two companies in order to honor the contractual commitment with the Chicago Checker Taxi. Markin named his concern the Checker Cab Company. However, there was no overlap in ownership.

John Hertz began in the taxi business in 1910, both building Yellow Cabs and operating the livery service. Because of plant overproduction, Hertz used the excess cars by renting them to patrons through his "Yellow Drive-Ur-Self" division (the forerunner of Hertz Rental Car). Seeing Hertz's success, Markin began buying up Checker's stock in 1924, gaining full control of Checker Taxi Cab in 1937.

Markin also followed Hertz's business plan in having drivers open doors for the fares, and outfitted each driver with a uniform. Competition for fares was fierce in the 1920s, and the easily spotted drivers began ganging up on one another between fares. The fighting between the two cab companies escalated to the point where Markin's home was firebombed. This prompted Markin to buy the Dort Automobile factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and relocate Checker.

Under Markin, Checker became the first cab company to hire African-American drivers and the first to require that drivers pick up all fares, not just white ones.

Hertz had sold his Yellow Cab to the Parmalee Transportation Company, but in 1929, after a suspicious fire at his stables killed his prized race horses, Hertz left the cab business, with Markin buying Hertz's shares and then acquiring another one-third in the company from Parmalee, thus taking control of both Parmalee and Yellow Cab.

prototype Checker Bantam jeep

Markin sold Checker Cab to E.L. Cord, but bought it back again in 1936. In 1940, Parmalee (including Yellow and Checker Cab) became the largest cab company in the United States. Eventually, the cab company revenues exceeded those of Checker's automotive building division, and the company decided to enter the consumer passenger car business in 1958. Consumer autos were phased in regionally across the US in 1959 starting in New York and New England. Nationally, introduction of the Checker Superba took place at the Chicago Auto Show on February 8, 1960. The dealer network continued to grow throughout the early 1960s.

In addition to automobile production, Checker played a significant role as a third party automotive supplier of OEM body stampings. In the late 1930s Checker produced truck bodies for Hudson in addition to manufacturing complete Ford truck cabs. Checker also produced truck bodies for REO.

In 1964 the state of New York pursued Markin and Checker on antitrust charges, alleging that it controlled both the taxi service and manufacture of taxis, and thus favored itself in fulfilling orders. Rather than allow Checker drivers to begin buying different brands of cars, Markin began selling licenses in New York City.

In 1977, seven years after the death of Morris Markin, retired GM President Ed Cole bought into Checker with the intent of re-energizing the company and developing a new, more modern Checker. Cole's plan was to purchase partially completed Volkswagens from VW's new factory in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. Cole was going to ship the VWs to the Checker Motors factory in Kalamazoo, cut them in half, insert a section to lengthen the VW, raise the roof and then sell the reconfigured vehicle as a taxi. Shortly thereafter, however, Cole was killed when his plane crashed near Kalamazoo.

1982 Checker taxicab in green and cream with Checker's trademark checkerboard trim.

In 1989, Checker Motors and Checker Holding Company were involved in a reverse acquisition with International Controls (Great Dane Trailers), and the company later changed its name to CRA Holdings. The company was reorganized in 1995 into three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Yellow Cab (owns and leases taxi cabs in Chicago), Chicago Autowerks (taxi-cab repair and other services) and CMC Kalamazoo. Other subsidiaries include American Country Insurance Company, a provider of property and casualty insurance, Great Dane, (the largest manufacturer of truck trailers, containers and chassis), and South Charleston Stamping & Manufacturing Company. The company was renamed as Great Dane Limited Partnership, and was acquired by Chicago based CC Industries.

Checker Motors today operates as a subsidiary of CC Industries as an automotive subcontractor, primarily for General Motors. Checker currently makes body stamping for various GMC/Cheverolet truck lines and chassis components for the Cadillac. David Markin, son of founder Morris Markin currently acts as CMC Chief Executive Officier.

Commercial vehicles

Checker Taxi

Checker Aerobus

During the 1930s, Checker also built trailers for Sears-Roebuck and truck cabs for the Ford Motor Company. Checker also built four prototype jeeps that were tested by the U.S. Army. They were called the Bantam and featured four wheel drive and four wheel steering. During World War II Checker built tank retrieval trailers, tank recovery vehicles, as well as semi, petroleum and other types of trailers.

Checker designs changed infrequently; Markin held on to certain design features long after they were discontinued by major automobile manufacturers. For example, open front fenders were retained by Markin into the 1940s because it saved operators the expense of repairing minor dings and dents. Taxi cab models were designated by a letter series; significant modifications in models (new major systems, etc.) were designated by a number following the model letter.

Checker's commercial vehicles were also usually given letter designations instead of model names. An exception to this rule was the Checker Aerobus http://www.edcahoon.com/Aerobus.html, an extended version of its cars, built on a stretch wheelbase allowing for each row of seats to have its own doors. The Aerobus was often associated with airports and train stations, although vacation resorts also used Aerobuses for transporting guests.

Consumer vehicles

From 1922 until 1959 Checker's production vehicles were built almost exclusively for the commercial livery (taxi) business, although the company would build vehicles for personal use if requested. Checker entered the consumer vehicle market when it saw purchases of its Checker Taxis decline.

Beginning in 1960, Checker introduced the Superba, its first model specifically built for the consumer market. Joining the Superba in 1962 was the Marathon, which took the place of the Superba Special.

Checker's cars were lightly marketed using campaigns that centered on their durability and unchanging style. Checker also promoted their vehicles as cars at a time when most US automakers shied away from mileage promises.

With the Marathon thoroughly outmoded and no longer selling in viable quantities, and lacking the resources to develop a new model, Checker decided to leave the auto manufacturing business. The Marathon design dated back to 1956 which caused Checker a number of problems. Although Checker cars and taxicabs used the same basic body and chassis design until production ceased, there were numerous changes in the appearance of the cars throughout its production, especially in the later 1960s and 1970s. Starting in 1967, an energy-absorbing steering column was fitted to meet safety regulations, similar in appearance to AMC's column. 1968 saw round side marker lights on each fender, amber in front, red in back. '69 cars got high-rise headrests, and 1970 models adapted the Government-required steering column and shift lever lock. 1974 Checkers eschewed the attractive, chrome-plated bumpers for girder-like, aluminum-painted units. '75s featured the catalytic converter emissions device, which came with an "Unleaded Fuel Only" label for both gas gauge and fuel filler. During the 1970s, Checkers adopted a standard Chevrolet steering column assembly, including steering wheel (sans the "Chevrolet" badges), shift lever and ignition switch. 1978 and later models can be identified when Chevrolet switched to a "Delta Spoke" steering wheel design, duly used on Checkers. The rear fold-down jump seats were also removed as they failed all safety tests. The car had very poor gas mileage as the tall front end and engine compartment had been designed for a Lycoming built engine, which required the large engine compartment. When production of that engine ceased, in 1960, Checker went to a Chevrolet straight six. That engine, along with an optional Chevrolet V-8 were used until the late 1970s. Engines and drivetrains matched the full-size Chevy models. During the 1970s, the Impala's Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission was fitted to all Checker sedans. When GM ceased offering the straight six in its Impala models for 1979, Checker purchased a small V-6 that was also used in the big Chevys. But the large and tall grill and hood made for poor aerodynamics which was part of the reason for the low gas mileage. So a number of the V-6s were converted to use propane as the fuel. Many of the body stamping dies were worn out after over 20 years of continuous use and that required manual body adjustments by body and fender mechanics to make the parts fit. The fenders and doors were the parts with the most problem fit as taxis are involved in numerous minor accidents due to their extensive, often 24 hour a day use. The last models were produced for the 1982 model year, and the final automobile rolled off the assembly line on July 12, 1982, after members of the Markin family decided to end automobile production rather than meet labor demands.

References

• "The Checker Cab: In Memoriam," Quintessences: the Quality of Having It (New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 1983), Page 94.

External links

• Checker History
• The Checker Taxi Stand
• Checker Car Club of America
• The Checker Aerobus Site

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