We have received good news from our Checker friends in Finland.  It appears that another Checker Model A4 will be restored in Finland!

A quick history lesson, back in 1951, Checker Cab Manufacturing sold 500 used Checker Model A2 former Chicago cabs to the Helsinki taxicab association for use during the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Now close to 70 years later there are two operational cabs still in existence.  A recently restored taxicab and one original operating unit.

Our friend in Finland, Mika Metsapelto has alerted us that Hannu Kyttanen is funding a project to restore another Checker model A2.   The Finnish auto restorer Risto Pöyhönen has recently taken pocession a restorable Checker Model A2 and will soon start the process of restoration.   The Checker belongs to Hannu Kyttanen the owner of many of the Finland Checker A2 survivors.  Hannu has compliled all the required parts from his fleet to perform a full restoration resulting with one finished unit.

Risto is an accomplished restorer as noted in Finnish Kauppalehti magazine.  According to Kauppalehti Risto “Knows how to do almost all the restoration work himself. He has restored rusty basket-cases himself. He knows upholstery, and he can handle even complicated motor repairs”

The pictures here by Mika, display the current condition of the A2.  We’ll keep you posted as Risto continues his progress.

Here is a link to view one of Risto’s most recent projects  a beautiful 1939 Chrysler.

Näin kunnostettiin “Mannerheimin auto” | Kauppalehti

For more information about Hannu and his  fleet of vintage Checker Cabs, check out this youtube video.

(1) Checker Cab in Finland since 1952! – YouTube

Photos by Mika Metsapelto