We first met Stephen Disbrowe about three years ago. Steve had just entered the Checker Cab hobby. Based out of the UK, Stephen share quite
a story and he clearly had the Checker bug. Stephen shared his story about how he purchased his Checker.
According to Stephen, he’d “been looking for a Checker for several years and nearly bought one or two before eventually agreeing to buy Chunky from Maryland. It just happened to coincide nicely with a planned holiday we had already booked in New York City (We usually visit the USA once or twice a year). We only had a long weekend in NYC before our flight to California and I managed to arrange the hire of a U-Haul truck whilst in the UK to make sure the purchase went smoothly and then sheepishly told Chantal about my plans. Well, it’s nice to come home with a souvenir from your vacation, isn’t it….. And what better a souvenir than a Checker?”, now that was quite a souvenir.
Well since then Stephen picked up yet another Checker! Stephen shared his car with fellow ICTA members on Facebook, “just received the build sheet from the Gilmore by email for my ’78 Marathon. It was ordered as floor stock for a dealership. It had a V6 motor (now has a V8) and it had virtually no extras except an AM radio!”
So now you have to ask why does a guy in the UK have two Checkers? Could it be for a car service? The best answer to comes from fellow UK ICTA member Peter Oliver, According to Peter “that’s what’s they always asked for in UK” . The “they” he’s talking about is “brides”.
Yes, Stephen will be using his two Checkers for a wedding service. In addition to weddings, Stephen also plans on using the Checkers for TV and film work. Combining wedding car service, TV and film work has allowed Stephen to take the big step and create a viable business utilizing two Checkers and his other collector cars.
According to Steve, “These iconic yellow cabs ruled the streets of New York and other American Cities for around 40 years. Also made famous by films such as “Taxi Driver” and TV shows like “Taxi” and “Friends”. Supplied with a traditional Taxi sign or with illuminated advertising board “. They are perfect for the UK.
Steve has plenty of experience using his Checker for film and TV, here’s a video from the BBC!
NYC Checker Taxicab in Children in Need 2016 Eastenders Routine
Watch my New York Checker taxicab in the Eastender's dance routine on Children in Need 2016
Posted by TV Car Hire on Saturday, November 19, 2016
This week Stephen posted, “Forget Rolls-Royce. For your unforgettable day, book a truly unforgettable car. A NYC Checker Cab will add a great touch to your wedding day!” How true.
According to Steve, “TV Car Hire specializes in the supply of famous TV and Film vehicles for your wedding or events. All the vehicles on our website are owned and operated by us.” Here’s a link to the website.
In addition to the Checker Stephen has some other unique rides.
Texas Pick-up Truck
Our Ford F100 Pick-up truck was imported from Austin in late 2017. With just 2 owners in almost 40 years, the truck was purchased new in San Antonio, Texas in 1980. It still has the original 4.9L engine, paint and teal interior.
Trotter Van
The yellow Reliant Regal Supervan belonging to Dodgy dealer Del Boy Trotter is one of the most famous TV vehicles ever! Our van is the correct yellow colour complete with roof rack, Tax Disc in Post sign in the windscreen and even the blow up doll in the boot!
The Reliant has a factory fitted rear seat and can take up to 2 passengers in addition to our driver
