Johnny E. Williams recently purchased a 1972 eight-door Check Cab Special Aerobus. From the five push-button radio to the power tailgate rear window and an additional heater "everything works," notes Williams. The cab's color, rose beige, is a factory issue.
Williams, also owner of Canal Motors, a used car dealership in Wabash, has a reason for purchasing the vehicle. His son, John, who works at the lot explained, "My dad had been looking for something really different to haul his little league baseball team around in. The cab is for the kids, coaches and anyone else in the Wabash Little League who wants to take their team out for ice cream."
The taxicab hasn't always been in Indiana. Alex Gonzalez long time friend of the family, spotted the car while vacationing in Buffalo, N.Y. Once Gonzalez eyed the "roving living room" he called Williams. "We talked over the phone for several days about the taxicab. Finally I agreed to buy the cab sight unseen," Williams said.
So confident was Gonzalez of the car, he drove it from New York to Wabash without any mechanical problems. Upon handing over the worn out key to its new owner Gonzalez commented, "At 240,000 miles, this car isn't even broke in yet. The engine and transmission on Checkers were built to last; they'll run forever." Gonzalez added a historical fact about the cab, "It was used at major airports to shuttle people to the Empire State Building."
The cab, since arriving to Williams' lot, has transported several groups of acquaintances to various places.
"Several months ago," John Williams said, "A buddy borrowed the taxicab and drove himself and a group of friends to Marion for dinner."
As Johnny Williams pondered the hulking piece of metal and might he added "the company was ahead of its time, they used leather to upholster the seats with." The use of leather was economical because as Williams explained "Who wants to replace fabric seats every 5,000 miles?"
Heavy duty springs and an extended GM frame caused the vehicle to sit higher than normal over the road. This cushioned passengers from the physical shock of potholes commonly found in New York City.
Signature features of the cab were the black and white checker stripe running the length of the cab, distinctive rounded hood and chrome front end and the fact that no one ever apologized to his or her knees." Checker cabs were noted for their ample legroom, spacious seats and extra- wide doors. The cab comes with a humorous story.
"People normally want to test drive our cars, at least that's how it's been for the last 12 years in the car business. Well a few months ago a 73-year-old lady came in the office and said 'I want to test drive the pink taxi.'"
Before Williams could answer a firm "No," the old lady defended herself by saying "I do have my license, you know." Williams still laughs at the thought of that little old lady trying to maneuver her way through the narrow streets of Wabash with his cab.
As for cab trivia, www.checkercabs. org, is a site for and about Checker Cabs. The site recognized Earl Johnson as the last legal Checker cabby to hang up his hat in NYC. His 1978 yellow Checker Cab logged 900,000 miles. It had become a moving icon. Furthermore, in 1970 over 5,000 Checker Cabs roamed the streets, but by 1993 only 10 legal working Checkers existed. Several years ago, taxi and limousine laws forced cabbies with vintage vehicles out of business. As the current law stands, cabs must be no older than 35-years-old to legally operate within New York. Older taxicabs, except for the few that were covered by a grandfather clause, were the exception. Checker Motor Corp. manufactured its first Checker Cab in Kalamazoo, Mich. July 18, 1923. Production ceased June 12, 1982.
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By TONI MAYO
Auto & RV Feature Writer
