Taxi Driver

[W. Gray]

I watched the 1976 movie "Taxi Driver" for the first time last night.

I was struck by two things.

One was that the hero went into a music store and bought a 33 and a third phonograph record for his girlfriend.

The other was that there were so many Checker automobiles in the film.

The Checker company began production of autos in 1920 and went out of business in 1984. The majority of Checkers wound up as taxis because of their roominess, dependability, and durability. But one could also buy a Checker from a small network of Checker dealers.

I rode in one in the sixties. To say they were roomy was an understatement. There was more than a couple feet between my knees and the front seat. The trunk was huge also. Over the last thirty years of production, their body style changed very little.

The company quit making cars in 1984 but remained in existence until 2009 manufacturing auto parts for GM.

Checker model introduced in 1958.

[Mom70x7]

When I was in school in Okla. City, a friend drove an old Checker Cab. I think it was painted black. The interior was all still original, including the fold-down "extra" seats in the back. It was big, definitely roomy. This was back in 1971-72. I thought it was so cool that he had a Checker.

[Warph]

Bye Bye, Mustang! 


The Mustang Becomes an Obamamobile
By Daniel J. Flynn
http://m.spectator.org/169477/show/2004bec01b064dde1bc8348e9cec2058

The Ford Motor Company is giving its Mustang a unique 50th birthday present: death.

Detroit will still market an automobile called the Mustang. It just won't bear much of a resemblance to the iconic roadster driven by the likes of Lt. Frank Bullitt and James Bond.