The Checker Model A taxicab was produced by

Checker Motors Corporation Checker Motors Corporation was a Kalamazoo, Michigan, vehicle manufacturer and tier-one subcontractor that manufactured taxicabs used by Checker Taxi. Morris Markin established the company in 1922, initially named the Checker Cab Manufacturi ...

. The Model A was introduced mid-

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

in 1939, and was built until 1941, when Checker switched over to wartime manufacturing, as did the rest of the

automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % su ...

. The Model A was offered in a new

landaulet Landaulet may refer to: * Landaulet (carriage), horse-drawn carriage * Landaulet (car), automobile {{dab ...

version that included an electric disappearing top, and early

sunroof A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and sty ...

. In addition, the new model came equipped with an automatic signal to warn pedestrians that the car was being reversed. The car came with a

Continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (a ...

L-head inline

six-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

and three-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear chang ...

. As was the case in previous Checkers, the Model A had open front fenders and rear-hinged doors. Headlight lenses were stylized and surrounded by heavy chrome bezels in

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

style. Approximately 1250 Model As were produced, and they were a common sight on the streets of big cities like New York and Chicago. However by the late 1940s they were mostly gone, victims of hard taxicab use over rough city streets. Only one known surviving Model A exists today. It is restored and painted in a maroon and black two-tone finish and resides in upstate New York. Dies to the Model A were lost after World War II, and Checker replaced this car with a new body design in 1947 (the Model A2); however the basic chassis and drivetrain of the Model A were retained.

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