Checker Revival?

Just saw that Checker is planning a revival in 2018 thanks to the new law on low volume manufactures. 2 models are planned, as 6-door sedan and a Ute type pickup. Everything modernized to meet current laws. Couldn't find any info on powertrain but did find pricing. $40-50k. Don't remember ever seeing anything about a Checker on here. Checker linker

I don't hate the ute.

Curious to see where this goes.

Seems pointless when there is Uber and Lyft to compete with

In reply to Sine_Qua_Non:

They are just making cars. No competition with uber.

That website has been around for a while. They are always having a revival every couple years. It's vaporware as far as I'm concerned.

I honestly don't know who they would sell either of those to. They would probably make more money just making the Marathon again.

Remember they went out of business in the first place because they couldn't compete with the Big 3 with fleet discounts. Somebody acquired everything and thinks they can make this a viable car company again.

You know, when I see that- seems to me that if you start with a blank frame, you can drop a body on that.

Take a basic pick up frame, drop on body- done. It looks to me like a large SUV with a car body on it, and lowered to be easy to get in and out of.

the problem would be, it's a LOT cheaper to operate the current fleet of taxis.

Possible, sure. What taxi company would buy them?

Lyft and Uuber matter a lot- taxi companies are in direct competition with them, so all costs matter. So you can't use an expensive car that costs a lot to operate.

I don't see a retail market for either car. No one would buy a 6 door car for personal use. The Ute looks like a bad Cuban back-yard modification of a 50's sedan and will have zero appeal to people looking to spend 40k on a low-volume car.

I also don't see a commercial market. Anyone who wants a limo isn't going to want a 50's airport hack like that, they want a super-lux executive ride. The 2 door, open bed Ute makes no sense for taxi type service and won't serve delivery company business as well as a small city van.

in short, it won't fly.

They can only make 325 a year under the low volume vehicle program. Seems to me that in a country of 330 million people there might be that many weirdos looking for a $40k six door car. How many $60k suburbans do you see out there? $40k is nothing if it's a polished product.

Man, this thing is gonna look GREAT parked next to my Elio! (joking)

I kinda like the ute. I think if it had two headlights instead of four i would really like it. I know nothing about checkers. Since they are destined to be taxis are the overengineered and good for 500k miles?

dculberson wrote: They can only make 325 a year under the low volume vehicle program. Seems to me that in a country of 330 million people there might be that many weirdos looking for a $40k six door car. How many $60k suburbans do you see out there? $40k is nothing if it's a polished product.

If all you can make is 325 vehicles, you need to charge a lot more money than $60k each to make any decent money. That's hand built volumes, so costs are going to be really high.

Are there any body-on-frame cars left where Checker could buy a brand-new running chassis+driveline and drop a new skin and interior on it? I'm thinking that a 1/2-ton truck chassis would be just the ticket. I believe that you can still buy such a thing from at least two of the big three. $40K is still low, but the concept isn't outlandish. If I had just cashed out a sweet IPO, the Ute would make a great vehicle for my horse ranch!

ultraclyde wrote: I don't see a retail market for either car. No one would buy a 6 door car for personal use.

No one would buy a crew cab dually Diesel for personal use.

Never underestimate the niche market

Kreb wrote: Are there any body-on-frame cars left where Checker could buy a brand-new running chassis+driveline and drop a new skin and interior on it? I'm thinking that a 1/2-ton truck chassis would be just the ticket.

Pickup frames would be right out, shaped all wrong. Last body on frame car was the Panther.

I think the big SUVs are even unibody, now.