1979 Checker A-11 Taxi 4-Door Sedan
2023.0004.0001, Savoy Collectionn
Engine: 305 cu. in. (L) Cast-iron block, OHV, V-8, Output: 145 HP @ 3,800 RPM
Transmission: Turbo 400 Automatic
Wheelbase: 120 in.
Overall Length: 204 in.
Top Speed: Unknown
Weight: 3,862 lbs.
No. Produced: 270
Original Price: $7,515
Manufacturer: Checker Motors
Checker Motors developed the reputation of building a car that “ran forever.” This isn’t true. Checkers wore out just like any other car. The secret to their longevity was their design. Heavy-duty and/or truck parts were incorporated into all aspects of the drive train. Properly cared for and maintained, a Checker could last 500,000 miles or more! Checker built classic taxicabs such as this one between 1961 and 1982.
As it eventually came to be known, Checker Motors saw its share of controversy. The principal shareholder Morris Markin, and treasurer Michael Glassberg, were convicted of violating the Illinois “Blue Sky” law, fined, jailed, and later found not guilty. Refusing to “co-operate” with Chicago’s Teamsters, Chauffeurs, and Helpers Union, Markin’s home was bombed the day after a union organizer was shot and killed. Markin then moved the company to Kalamazoo, MI, where it stayed until its closure in 2009.