Mogul sales continued to be slow but Commonwealth was rescued temporarily from bankruptcy by a large order from Checker Taxi in late 1920. When Markin took over, it was renamed Markin Automobile Body. However, demand for the Mogul was lower than expected and Lomberg defaulted on the loan, surrendering his company to Markin in late 1920. After being contracted to supply bodies for Commonwealth, Abe Lomberg sought to expand his shop by taking a US$15,000 personal loan from his fellow immigrant from Russia, Markin. In 1919, Commonwealth introduced the Mogul Taxi, combining a purpose-built taxicab body from Lomberg with the sturdy Commonwealth frame.

Commonwealth traced its history back to the DeSchaum Motor Syndicate (later Suburban Limiteds ), founded in 1908 in Buffalo, New York, while Markin Auto Body, which was originally named the Lomberg Auto Body Manufacturing Company, was founded in the late 1910s by Russian immigrant Abraham Lomberg in Joliet, Illinois.

Both had been acquired earlier by Morris Markin, who emigrated from Russia in 1913 and worked as a clothier in Chicago, Illinois, earning his fortune by winning a contract to supply uniforms to the United States Army during World War I. The Checker Cab Manufacturing Company was formed through the merger of two predecessor companies: Commonwealth Motors and Markin Automobile Body. On January 16, 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. After 1982, Checker invested significantly in the third party manufacturing business, serving GM and Chrysler.

The company had trouble competing with fleet discounts offered by the larger manufacturers, as well as economies of scale in procuring components. Special features included wide rear doors, large rear seats and trunks, and jump seats for two extra passengers. The manufacturer moved to Kalamazoo in 1923 and was renamed to Checker Motors in 1958.Ĭhecker made the iconic American taxi cab, valued by taxicab companies for its durability in heavy use.

Morris Markin established the company in 1922, initially named the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company, in Chicago through a merger of Commonwealth Motors and Markin Automobile Body. Automotive stampings and components (previous: Commercial Vehicles, 1922–82 – Consumer Vehicles, 1959–82)Ĭhecker Motors Corporation was a Kalamazoo, Michigan, vehicle manufacturer and tier-one subcontractor that manufactured taxicabs used by Checker Taxi.

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