Every Wednesday the folks at McLellan's Automobile History send me an e-mail describing some of the more interesting historic catalogs and promotional material available through their Web site. This week, right at the top of the list, was a Checker catalog. An oft-overlooked treasure from America's past, Checker taxis were once a familiar sight on the streets of Manhattan and other cities where, or so it seemed, two out of three cabs were yellow checkers. Big and boxy, they offered passengers acres of legroom while their trunks could hold just about anything eccentric New York shoppers might have purchased at Saks and Bloomingdales.

Being designed exclusively for taxi work those Checkers had tight turning circles and with their Continental 6-cylinder engines were reliable and economical. But they weren't cheap to buy and, under pressure from Detroit's "Big Three" and unable to fund a contemporary replacement, the Kalamazoo manufacturer began losing its near-monopoly. That being a period when America briefly flirted with the idea of common-sense motoring, Checker's management decided to make its products available to non-commercial buyers like you and me. Finally, anyone could drive a Checker!

In spite of adding V-8 engines and various comfort and convenience amenities, plus more colours than Taxicab Yellow, the big boxes were unenthusiastically received. In truth they were just too big and heavy. Luckily a few survived and remain in the hands of devoted collectors who gather under the umbrella of the Checker Car Club of America. Major events are held each year including the CCCoA 2007 National Meeting in Ypsilanti, MI, and the California Checker Club Annual Show Sun, Jul 29th, 2007. If you attend these events and raise a hand while shouting "taxi!" you won't wait long for a lift.