Carrosserie Worblaufen, F. Ramseier & Co. was a swiss manufacturer of car bodies headquartered in Worblaufen near Bern from 1929 to 1958.
The company was founded by Fritz Ramseier-Scheidiger in 1900 in Worblaufen and mainly built trailer and truck bodies. Ramseier-Scheidiger passed the company on to his son Fritz Ramseier in 1929, who renamed the company to “Fritz Ramseier & Co., Carosserie Worblaufen”; it is also known as “Carosserie Worblaufen”. Carosserie Worblaufen was a leading company for luxurious 
car bodies in Switzerland. It was especially known for sporty, elegant, open designs. Worblaufen car bodies were used for Alpha Romeo, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti (Type 57 Grand Raid Roadster, Body Nr. 57260), Citroen, Delahaye (7 Type 135a which according to the Swiss Car Register still (2017) exist), Isotta Fraschini, Jaguar, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz and Talbot-Lago
Shortly after the end of WWII a four-door convertible was built on the chassis of a Packard Clipper Super and Super Eight. Worblaufen mixed design elements of both cars.
In March 1950 Worblaufen introduced a convertible on a Bentley Mark Vi chassis at the Geneva Auto Show. Additionally, there was another surprise at the Geneva auto show. At the Checker stand were three Checker that had been customized by Carrosserie Worblaufen!
Three 1949 Checker Model A3 were on display. The most striking was center stage, a custom built Checker Model A3 convertible. A3’s were equipped with a standard full bench seat, with a plain vinyl covering. It appears that the convertible had a tuck and roll seats, presumed to be converted to leather. In order the strengthen the body structure a grab rail can be seen running across the length of the from seat, meeting at each side of the body door posts. Additionally the rear doors we modified so that the Continental/Suicide door hinges were reversed and mounted on the forward door post.
With a body designed by Raymond Dietrich and chassis engineered by form Cord/Auburn engineer Herb Snow Carrosserie has a great car to build their custom concept adapted to the newly introduced Checkers. The two sedan shown at the show also appear to have been significantly customized. Each unit sports chrome stripes on each fenders. Equipped with white wall and painted black, each A3 have a look and feel of earlier Cadillac.
It’s interesting to note that these were shown at the Checker booth, the big question is who paid for these custom Checkers. Was it Checker Cab Manufacturing or a third part distributor interested in expanded Checker sales channels.
So, the next time someone suggests that Checkers are mere taxicabs, just point out the use of Checkers in the Geneva luxury car market.
