Mission: Impossible is a multimedia franchised based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 television series ran for seven seasons from 1966 till 1973. By 2011, the franchise generated over $4 billion in revenue making Mission: Impossible one of the highest grossing media franchise in history.
Now what does Checker Cabs have in common with this series? Well: when a fictitious intelligence agency needs for fight fictitious dictators from fictitious countries, the villain’s need to drive get-away cars. More importantly, these cars need to be bulky in appearance and present the idea the get-away cars are old designs made in backward socialistic countries.
So, when the producer’s of Mission: Impossible cast a car for this role, clearly the Checker was the first to come to mind. It’s big, its bulky, it was old looking compared to the late sixties glamor cars driven by IMF agents. The Checker was perfect choice.
This blog will catalog the cars of the TV show. Our cover car comes from Season 3, episode 14, The Test Case: A scientist of an enemy power, Dr. Oswald Beck, has developed a bacteria which causes cerebral spinal meningitis and mutated it into a form that kills and then becomes inert after a few hours. The IMF must destroy the preliminary culture and stop Beck.
From Episode 16 from season 4, The Falcon:
From Season 3, episode 19, The Bunker: In the first of two parts, Dr. Erich Rojak, a brilliant scientist, is being held in an underground bunker containing a laboratory where he is forced to work on a small but extremely powerful long-range missile. If he succeeds, the missile has the potential to change the balance of power between the East and the West. Rojak is cooperating only because his totalitarian government is holding his wife, Anna, and threatens to kill her unless he completes the missile. The IMF’s assignment is to rescue Rojak and his wife and to destroy his missile research. But another unfriendly government has sent professional killer Alexander Ventlos to make certain Rojak never completes his work.
Two Checkers appeared The Exchanged a two part Season 3, episode 12: While on a mission Cinnamon is captured by a foreign government. Jim and the others decided to mount their own mission without approval to spring her by using another spy they’ve kidnapped as bait.
Season 4, episode 15, The Faclon Part 1: Paris switches identities with Nicolai during a magic show and the real sovereign is taken to safety. Francesca, cooperating with the IMF plan, fakes her own suicide cutting off Sabattini’s route to power. The theft of the royal vault is discovered, and Phelps contacts Sabattini as a former partner of Stephan’s claiming that he can force the prince to reveal the location of the royal treasure.
Season 4, Episode 24, Death Squad: Jim and Barney vacation together in a Latin American country. While there, Barney falls in love with artist Alma Ross. But the brother of the local police chief obsesses over Alma and is enraged that she and Barney are dating. He goes into her room with a knife. Barney defends Alma but in the process sidesteps the jealous man, who lunges through the window, landing on the knife. Barney is now arrested and ticketed for execution by the police chief, who is operating a secret death squad. Phelps summons Paris and Willy and the IMF must act fast before Barney becomes the death squad’s latest victim.
Season 3, episode 25, The Exchange: An enemy agent has knowledge of a potentially catastrophic event but is being held prisoner in another country. The IMF kidnaps the agent and uses a complicated psychological scheme to trick him into revealing his secret.
Season 4, episode 01, The Interrogator: An enemy agent has knowledge of a potentially catastrophic event but is being held prisoner in another country. The IMF kidnaps the agent and uses a complicated psychological scheme to trick him into revealing his secret.
Season 5, Episode 13, The Hostage. Paris’s cover identity as a wealthy and influential American proves a bit too convincing. He is kidnapped and held for the ransom by rebels demanding the release of three of their comrades. The government agrees to cooperate in Jim’s plan to rescue Paris only if he will capture one of the rebel leaders. But the rebels are very careful.
So there you have it. It appears the Checker were used in season 3 &4 multiple times and once in the fifth season. This writer suspects that only a couple of Checker were actually used. Most likely two movie fleet cars that were painted for each episode.
