The Checker Marathon was built by Checker Motors Corporation in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and became the most iconic taxi in New York City history. Designed purely for taxi work, it had a flat rear floor, fold-down jump seats and an enormous back seat. Its shape barely changed from the late 1950s until production ended in 1982, and the last Checker cab in New York retired in 1999. For many, it remains the image of the classic New York taxi.

At a glance
Maker Checker Motors Corporation, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Founder Morris Markin
Taxi model Checker A-series (from 1956); Marathon name from 1961
Production ended 1982
Last NYC Checker Retired in 1999

Built for taxis

Checker was founded in the 1920s by Morris Markin, a Russian-born businessman who also owned cab companies. Its cars were designed for durability and passenger space: tall doors, a high roof, a flat floor and jump seats that allowed five passengers in the back.

An unchanging design

The Checker’s body changed very little for decades, which kept parts cheap and repairs simple — exactly what fleet owners wanted. Checker also sold the Marathon to the public, and it gained a cult following.

The Aerobus

Checker built stretched Aerobus versions with extra doors for airport and hotel shuttles — a relative of the stretched “airport limousines” of the era. Read the first stretch limousine.

Why it disappeared

Fuel economy standards, safety rules and competition from cheaper sedans like the Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria made the Checker uncompetitive. Production ended in 1982. Read the Ford Crown Victoria and the history of the NYC yellow cab.

What riding in a Checker was like

Passengers remember the Checker’s upright seating, generous headroom and a rear floor so flat and wide that a family could sit comfortably with luggage at their feet. The jump seats folded up from the floor for extra passengers. It wasn’t luxurious — the ride was firm and the interior utilitarian — but it was spacious in a way few cars have been since.

The Checker became a symbol of New York in films and television, including Taxi Driver (1976) and the TV series Taxi, and it still appears in period films set in the city. Collectors restore surviving Checkers, and a few appear at classic car shows.

Why its design never changed

Checker’s business depended on fleets that wanted cheap, interchangeable parts and low repair costs. Keeping the body the same for decades suited those buyers perfectly — but meant the company couldn’t adapt when fuel economy, emissions and safety rules tightened in the 1970s.