July 12, 1982: Checker Motors Corporation ceases production after 61 years. Since 1922, they had been America's foremost producer of automobiles for uses as taxicabs, their checkerboard pattern as identified with cabs as the color yellow, especially in New York City.
Their A11 and A12 models varied little from its initial production in 1959 until the end, so that even the 1982 models looked like they were made in the Fabulous Fifties. This was part of the appeal: A ride in a Checker cab felt like a trip through time.
The final Checker A11/A12s were manufactured in 1982, when Checker left the automobile manufacturing business. By that point, a majority of the taxis in New York were either Chevrolet Impalas or Ford LTD Crown Victorias, which were also popular for police departments of the era, and for the same reason: They held up well in difficult driving on city streets. In the 21st Century, most New York taxis became minivans, which led to a cargo capacity similar to the Checkers.
The company continued operation at partial capacity, making parts for General Motors, until January 2009, when a recession forced it to declare bankruptcy.
There are people who own remaining Checker cabs, have them restored to their vintage appearance, and make money by renting them out for weddings and other special occasions.
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July 12, 1982 was a Monday. There were no scores on this historic day: Major League Baseball was the only sport in season, and this was during its All-Star Break. The next day, for the 1st time ever, the All-Star Game was played outside the United States, at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, and the National League beat the American League, 4-1.
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