We’re always told not to dwell on the past, but sometimes it can be kind of fun. Paying tribute to the Checker Motor Cars cab is one of those times.
New vehicles from Checker could soon be on the road for the first time in over three decades, as plans are in the works to manufacture two new cars. Based on the classic Checker Marathon design, production of a both 12-passenger vehicle and a two-door pick-up truck is set to begin in the fall of 2018. The original Michigan-based Checker Motors Corporation stopped production of cars in 1982, officially going out of business in 2010. A program launched by Adamson Industries a few years back provided restoration and parts for the old cars, and the high interest sparked the idea to begin production again under Adamson supervision.
But, get this: New York Daily News reports that project overseer and Checker owner Steve Contarino — family friend of company founder Morris Markin — said he plans to produce only about 100 of each model.
The A888: A Checker Aerobus-Inspired Concept
One of the designs, the A888, mirrors features of the Checker Aerobus from the 1960s and ‘70s — complete with six doors, four rows and a 12-passenger capacity. You could fit the entire extended family in this, though I’d assume that most people do not want all of their family members confined in a space as tight as this for more than about five minu... at all.
The A888’s four front doors will be regular sized, and the two rear doors extended. The third row of seats has a fold-down option so that passengers can have a bit more room if the whole soccer team isn’t aboard.
The Sport Pick-Up Crossover
A sport pick-up crossover is the other vehicle in the new Checker lineup, inspired by the Chevrolet El Camino. The pick-up concept, Contarino told Fox News, is “just for fun”:
In this case, [the pickup is] one with a steel frame and body with composite outer panels that will use a lot of off-the-shelf modern components, including its instrument panel, LED lighting (possibly rectangular) and drivetrain. Contarino is keen on the General Motors E-Rod crate engines he uses for restorations, and hopes to add the Chevy Colorado’s turbo diesel if it becomes available, but says the chassis is being designed to be flexible about what’s under the hood.
For folks looking to purchase one of the two new concepts, Fox News reports that Checker expects to put assign each of them a price tag ranging from $50,000 to $70,000.
Photo credit: AP Photo/David Goldman, concept photos via Checker Motor Cars
Contact the author at alanis.king@jalopnik.com.