The Checker is an automobile produced by the Checker Motors Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its Marathon/Superba models began production in 1960 and were advertised to individual customers in upscale publications. The ads emphasized the durability of the Checker and the attention to quality improvements. Marathons were produced in both four-door sedan and four-door station wagon forms. The eight-door, 12-seater "Aerobus" wagon was typically spotted shuttling airline passengers to and from a major airport. They remained largely unchanged to keep costs down and its late 50s design held its ground until 1982, the Marathon's final production year.
Long before the Marathon, the Checker Motor Company manufactured taxicabs aimed at fleet buyers, famously used by Checker Taxi, a privately owned cab company in Chicago. Morris Markin established the Kalamazoo business in 1922. In its early years, he not only produced the vehicles but also ran Checker Cab, a taxi company that was in direct competition with John D. Hertz, owner of Yellow Cab. The Checker Motor Company ceased to exist with the sale of its Kalamazoo headquarters in 2010.
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