This artist’s rendition of Galva II shows the massive rear doors of the 128-inch wheelbase proposal. (Joe Fay Collection)
[Editor’s Note: Ben Merkel and Joe Fay, both friends of Hemmings and giants in the Checker community, recently released a book, Checker, The All-American Taxi, which charts the history of the company from beginning to end and includes plenty of rarely seen photos and information. Of particular interest, we thought, was the chapter on Checker’s attempts to modernize its cabs in the late Seventies and early Eighties, so Ben and Joe allowed us to share that excerpt here. For more information on the book, visit EarlswoodPress.co.uk or Amazon, and for more Checker info, visit the Checker Cab group on Facebook.]
By the 1970s the Checker cab design was several automotive generations old. As the decade started the Checker A11 design had been in production for close to twenty years, with design elements that could be attributed to a 1950 clay design and some chassis components with ancestral linkage to the 1939 Model A. Clearly, it was time for Checker to consider developing a modern taxi that would allow the company to produce cars into the next century. Several projects were executed in the early 1970s in the attempt to develop a new Checker. In 1974, US Steel and prototype builder Autodynamics of Madison Heights, Michigan proposed a new Checker idea called “Galva”, from Galvanised Steel”, to Checker Motors Corporation (CMC). The plan was to design a new model using newly developed manufacturing techniques to produce a vehicle with a reduced amount of tooling. Unfortunately, the project never got off the drawing board; Checker management was happy, the company was profitable and would continue to produce the A11 and various other speciality cars.
The Galva II was not Checker’s first attempt at a FWD Taxi. That was the Model D. Herbert Snow, formerly of Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg, was commissioned with designer Raymond H Dietrich, formerly from Le Baron, Chrysler and Lincoln to develop the replacement for the Model A. It was determined that FWD technology could not meet the tough standards of the taxi industry. The project was killed and the resulting design was altered to produce the Model A2. (Joe Fay Collection)
By the mid-seventies Checker would revisit the idea of producing a new taxi. In March of 1977, Ed Cole, former GM president, and Victor Potamkin, one of the largest car dealers in the US, bought control of Checker Motors’ taxi subsidiary, Checker Taxi Co, which then operated Checker fleets in Chicago, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. Ed Cole was the former general manager of the Chevrolet Motor Division and president of General Motors. In the early 1950s, Cole was the lead engineer in charge of the development of a new Chevy engine built to replace the legendary ‘Stovebolt Six’ engine. This new engine was Chevrolet’s small-block V8, a massive success that remained in production into the twenty-first century. Victor Potamkin was a popular New York car salesman who used a combination of sales discounting and aggressive advertising to transform a Manhattan Cadillac agency into the flagship of his $1bn a year automotive empire. At the time, Checker generated net income of $274,000 on $87m in sales. The magic formula of Potamkin’s deep financial pockets and sales and marketing know-how, combined with Cole’s automotive engineering capabilities and GM connections were the perfect combination required to transform Checker.
It was an exciting time – expectations were high that the new partners would revitalize Checker’s future, new models would be introduced and the company would grow. Cole and Potamkin partnered with Jim McLernon, President of Volkswagen of America, to explore the feasibility of stretching the VW Rabbit (aka Golf) 21.0 inches (533.4mm) in order to create a VW-based taxicab. The hoopla was significant and the US automotive world was watching Checker when, just weeks into the new partnership, Ed Cole was killed when the private plane he was flying crashed on his way to Kalamazoo.
The rough concept drawing of the new Checker from the desk of Victor Potamkin. (Forbes Magazine)
Ed Cole and Victor Potamkin partnered with Jim McLernon, President of Volkswagen of America, to explore the feasibility of stretching the VW Rabbit 21.0 inches in order to create a VW based Checker. (Joe Fay Collection)
Autodynamics’ publicity photo of the proposed Galva FWD Checker. Although the Rabbit is considered a small car, its quite clear to meet Checker’s passenger compartment standards the Galva need to become very large. (Joe Fay Collection)
Despite Cole’s death, Checker soldiered on with the transformation plan, and three months after, in August of 1977, they unveiled plans for the new Taxi to the public in a Forbes Magazine article. The new Checkers would indeed be based on a Volkswagen Rabbit, stretched by 21 inches (533.4mm) in the rear passenger area and with modifications to the roof in order to improve headroom. To reinforce the overall strength of the Rabbit design, Checker anticipated adding 300lbs (136kg) in weight to the body as structural panels, for a total weight of 2,300lbs (1,043kg). The new taxi would use the same standard Rabbit transmission, but the added weight required new power options. Three power plants were considered; Perkins, Mitsubishi or Oldsmobile diesel engines. The VW based design would have been a serious departure from past Checkers. The passenger compartment would have carried four rear passengers, two facing forward and two facing rearward, one less than the 5-person rear capacity of the current A11. This layout, not found in US taxis may not have met with the approval of passengers, who would have to compete for knee room. Ed Cole’s plan assumed sales via GM’s dealer network of 50,000 units a year.
After Cole’s death, Checker CEO David Markin reduced the sales plan down to 30,000 units. The bodies would be produced by VW and shipped to Kalamazoo for final assembly. One test mule, a stretched Rabbit was created and field-tested. The test encompassed the placement of 500lb (227kg) of sandbags in the rear passenger area of the vehicle, which was driven from Kalamazoo to Chicago, where it was put into loop traffic and monitored for performance. The resulting test was disappointing. Upon its return to Kalamazoo, the mule was parked and the project was killed as it was decided the VW based concept wasn’t suitable as a taxi. For the rest of the decade, Checker would continue to produce the A11.
Galva II
By the 1980s, the US had gone through two energy crises, one in 1973 and one in 1979. Clearly it was time for Checker to consider developing a modern fuel-efficient taxi that would allow Checker to produce cars into the next century. In the early 1980s, via a series of financial transactions, David Markin monetised CMC. Potemkin and Cole’s widow were paid out and both exited the company. Markin had total control of CMC again and the funds available to produce a new Checker.
This beautiful artist rendition of Galva II could not really hide the fact that the new Checker would essentially be a big box on wheels. (Joe Fay Collection)
Checker’s final attempts at introducing a new cab came in early 1981. CMC signed a contract with Autodynamics to develop a new Checker. The project was called Galva II, an extension of the project originally positioned back in 1974. Autodynamics developed a design that would use the latest GM components developed under the GM X-Car program.
The GM X-Car line was a major departure from GM traditional design. It was a front wheel drive platform with a transverse engine, similar to the BMC mini concept. The new Checker was to be front wheel drive; ironic as this concept was first tested by Checker in the mid 1940s with the Model D project. Consistent with the original Galva project, the new Checker would be based on limited tooling. Paul E Newman of Autodynamics was quoted in Automobile Quarterly:
“We had a particular build concept for them (Checker). It involved a low cost tooling and break form panels.”
Galva II design work utilize a Chevy Citation test mule, parked in Kalamazoo, displays an extended rear passenger section. The modern 1970s era design is quite a big change from the 1950s era Checkers parked alongside.
Howard E. Klausmeier of Autodynamics was quoted in Automotive News;
“The intent is to standardize componentry and simplify tooling and manufacturing as much as possible. The only curved glass will be the windshield. All other glass is flat. In addition, the components provide easy replacement for repair and maintenance using simplified attachment systems.”
In November of 1981, Sab Hori, Head of CMC Engineering described more details of the new Checker for automotive writer John Melrose:
“We’re going to try and do everything we can to make the cab easy to service. We’ll have bolt-on fenders, possibly of plastic, and we’re considering bolt-on door panels made from either RIM (reinforced injection moulding) or SMC (sheet moulding compound) plastic because if a panel is damaged it would be easier to replace. The fenders will be friendly, flexible type, like those on Oldsmobile’s new sport Omega. We’re also thinking about plastic hoods, rear hatch doors and fascias, because the tooling costs are lower. As a low-volume producer, we have the advantage of not worrying about the slow cycle times needed in making plastic parts. And what we’re trying to do is go as far as possible with proven technology. Checker is so small that we can’t afford to be the leaders; we’ve got to be followers.”
The new Checker would have a fully independent rear suspension. The design was based on a Firestone developed system called the Marsh Mellow. A Marsh Mellow spring is a fabric reinforced rubber cylinder. A striking solution for Checker, the Marsh Mellow spring was known for reliability, corrosion resistance, low cost, and basic simplicity. Best of all from Checker’s point of view, unlike a conventional rear leaf spring, if a Marsh Mellow spring fails, the cab would not have been taken off the road immediately. This feature would endear it to taxi fleets. Surely it could handle the pot-holed streets of New York City.
At the time of design, Sab Hori was quoted in Automotive News:
“The New Generation of taxicab design will be a four door hatchback designed with identical bumpers, glass, lighting, engines, transmissions, and front/rear-end styling. All four models will have surround-type frames, extended for longer vehicles.”
So, like CMC models of the past, several variations of wheelbase and configurations would be available. Plans called for three different wheelbases; 109.0 inches (2,768.6mm) for six passengers, 122.0 inches (3,098.8mm) for eight passengers and 128.0 inches (3,251mm) for seating nine and a raised-roof paratransit vehicle with wheelchair capabilities. David Markin was also quoted in Automotive News, stating that the new vehicle would be sold to both fleet operators and private individuals.
Long after the Galva II project was killed, the Citation test mule lies dormant outside the cab services building with various Checker Chicago propane test vehicles. (Ben Merkel Collection)
There was a lot of excitement, Great press was generated, but ultimately, the new Checker was never put into production. Regarding the decision to kill it, Sab Hori was quoted in Automobile Quarterly:
“We were at a crossroads whether to continue to offer the Taxi or discontinue and go into contract work. To stay in the taxi market required a large expenditure of money. At the time, the whole automobile industry was in a downturn. We didn’t feel it was worth the expenditure of several million dollars. There was still a lot of uncertainty. It would be a tremendous gamble.”
Paul E Newman was also quoted in Automobile Quarterly. According to Newman:
“We had a lot of engineering completed. There were several variations of clay models and a seating buck. We looked at production engineering. David Markin was relatively young and was quite ambitious for the type of vehicle he was building, but the project died. Partially because it was based on the GM X-car. It had its limitations due to the technology of the time.”
As Newman stated, production and engineering were well along. At least one test mule was created based on a stretched Chevy Citation. Clay models were completed, a step typically just ahead of tool and die creation. Design bucks were fabricated. This project moved far beyond the drawing board.
Pulled out of the plant in 2010, the remnants of the Galva II wooden buck was rotting away in a dark section of the CMC plant. Note the Chevy Citation fenders from the test mule were saved along with the buck. (Todd Harroun)
Upon review of the design buck and prototype photos, it’s very clear that a new front drive Checker would still be a very big car. The design buck utilized many existing Checker components. The front seat of the buck was actually the same front seat used in the production of the Checker A11, providing over 60 inches of hip room. The buck is not really much smaller than a standard Checker. The overall reduced size was mainly derived from a smaller front clip, utilizing a transverse engine and the elimination of the rear trunk. Based on this framework, it’s safe to say that the passenger compartment would have yielded comfort similar to Checker’s past production cars. The production 1982 Checker hovered at about 4,000lbs (1,814kg). Assuming that the use of plastics and reduction of vehicle size would have eliminated 800lbs (362.8kg), an educated guess puts the proposed FWD Checker at 3,200lbs (1,451kg). Given the Chevy X-Car weighed approximately 2,300lbs (1,043kg), one has to question whether the new Checker concepts could rely on powertrains designed for vehicles close to 1,000lbs (453.5kg) lighter than the proposed FWD Checker and still produce acceptable performance. Add into the equation larger Checker versions at 122-inch (3,098.8mm) and 128-inch (3,251mm) wheelbase with 8- and 9-passenger capacities, one can only imagine that the X-Car powertrain would be significantly challenged in moving passengers from point A to point B. Given the financial investments required, the state of the economy, the effort required to change production and designs, Checker truly was at the crossroads of their future.
Checker Motors had always run a third party production business that served the US automotive industry. As far back as the 1930s, Checker had produced bodies for Hudson. In the 1950s, they produced trailers for the US Army and Sears Roebuck and during the early post war era supplied the Railway Express Agency with truck bodies used to deliver parcels door to door. During the time that Checker was debating new car production, Checker was producing the Dodge Maxi vans for Chrysler Corporation. Clearly, David Markin had options in terms of making investments either continue to produce automobiles or expand third party production. At the same time that CMC was developing the new Checker, the company was in tough contract discussions with the United Steel Workers. The dynamics at the time made it clear that Checker would not only not produce a new Checker, but ultimately, Checker ended all car production in June of 1982 in order to focus on third party production. Funds to be directed for the new Checker were diverted to a new strategy of third party stamping and production. The expansion kept Checker in business well into the 21st century. Although it’s romantic to think about the possibilities of what a new FWD Checker could have achieved, it’s safe to say that the decision not to move forward was clearly the correct one.
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