We heard some big news over the last couple of months! According to various news outlets: Fox, NBC and AP, a new Checker will be produced.
Yahoo reported ‘nearly 35 years after the Checker automotive assembly lines in Kalamazoo fell silent and almost 20 years after the last of the famous New York City Checker cabs retired, the Checker automobile is poised for a comeback, with plans set for two new niche models and a complete mechanical update. Missing from those plans, however, are designs on re-entering the taxi market. Or even producing a four-door vehicle at all.
“A lot of auto manufacturers already offer four-door taxis, so no, we’re not trying to bring back the taxi,” said Steve Contarino, owner of Checker Motor Cars, a company based in Haverhill, Massachusetts, focused on restoring vintage Checkers. “Instead, we want to bring back nostalgia in a usable form.”
While the cars will largely resemble the Checker A12s limos of the 1980s, Contarino said they won’t use any original parts or parts stamped from original Checker dies. “Most of that stuff was long gone even before the bankruptcy in 2009”.’
So it’s been a couple of weeks since the various announcements were introduced to the media, now its time to weigh in and consider: can it happen? At the Checker Cab Group Club, we believe that this can and will happen.
Why? For two core reason, first over the last twenty years new technology has significantly lowered the cost of manufacturing niche automobiles. The second reason, Steve Contarino and his company is a well established organization.
1979-1982 Shay Model A
Let’s look at the technology. Back in the 60’s and 70’s the collector car hobby was focus primarily on the Ford Model A. From the 1960’s thru the 1980’s various cottage industries were created to help collectors keep their Model A’s running. Everyone of these cottage industry providers were low cost operations that had to develop means of producing parts at a low cost. By the 1980’s virtually every part needed to produce a Model A was again available on the collector car market. Several companies such as Shay were producing new Model A’s.
Over the last 30 years the hobby has evolved. Now it’s all about 5-6-7 Chevys, Mustangs and muscle cars. The supplier network has evolved too, one only has to look at Real Deal Steel in Florida. For the last five years Real Deal Steel has been selling turn-key new 1957 Chevys!
New 1955 Chevrolets being assembled in Florida
The technology and the know how is available to produce a niche automobile, now all you need a little doh ray me, capital.
Adamson Industries, owned by Steve Contarino has been successfully supporting Fire/Police/Municipal organizations by providing full turn-key emergency vehicles for over 30 years. Anybody who has worked with government agencies knows: you have to be a solid company to earn the honor of receiving a government contract. Clearly Adamson Industries has solid grounding, automotive expertise and has the stature to meet the high standards of government contracts, they also have the capital.
Clearly Adamson Industries is a well established firm and can take a project like the new Checker
For these two simple reason we’re confident that Steve will get the job done, he’s already the most well respected Checker restorer, the Checker Cab Group Club is convince over time Steve plans will take hold and an new variation of a Checker will be available.
Here’s a link to for a little history on the Shay Model.
Here’s a link to Real Deal Steel regarding the 5-6-7 Chevrolet.
For more Checker fun, check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145497838799022/ or our website: http://www.checkercabclub.org/
