Back this in the Summer of 2-15 we put up a blog regarding Checker trucks, in that blog we reported on Checker trucks produced in the early 1930’s, we reported as follows:
Yes indeed, Checker did sell trucks. There are few survivors, typical with any Checker there seems to be a story with each Checker truck. Some of these stories are passed on and others just fade away leaving the Checker collectors to try to piece together what bits of information exists.
For the record, Checker did start offering trucks based on the Model M in 1931. Stanley Yost wrote back in 1974 in a three part article for Car Classics Magazine that as many as 500 trucks were produced in the early 1930s. The truck was essentially a Checker taxi with the passenger section removed and stake body added to the chassis. Production of the unique vehicles continued into 1934 with the Model T.
It’s highly likely that these trucks were actually remanufactured taxis pulled from the Checker taxi fleets operating across the country. Minor retrofitting was probably very profitable, these taxicabs would have been fully depreciated, pulled from taxi service and prettied up to serve a new commercial purpose and second life of service.
Production records from the early 30’s do not indicate truck production, this writer would assume that the trucks utilized the same serial numbers used when the retrofitted trucks were first produced as taxicabs
We can now add more information to the subject, pulled from the vast library of archive material we have found a 1931 sales folder that sheds more light on the subject along with some pictures.
The Extended Van Model B Deluxe Delivery
First and foremost the brochure confirms that the Checker trucks were remanufactured taxis. According to the brochure:
“The Checker Cab Chassis, utilized in the production of these cars, while not brand new, being late models remanufactured, nevertheless embody unused mileage for beyond that of many other brand new chassis of a higher price.”
Two models were produced, the DeLuxe Delivery Model A priced at $1000.00 and the Model B priced at $1095.00. The Model be was equipped with a larger van body. Photographs indicate that the DeLuxe Delivery was based on the Model K platform, it appears that the cowl forward is a standard Model K and from the dash back is a new van body. It also appears that the standard laundau Model K served as a donor, based on the exposed driver configuration.
Checker Model K produced from 1929 thru 1931
It’s still not clear what remanufacture really means? Further information would be interesting. Were the units mechanically overhauled or did they receive new Buda engines. To what degree were the chassis upgraded? Hopefully we’ll be able to find more material via google books.
