Vehicle Description
1972 Checker Marathon 50th AnniversaryModel One of 45 50th
Anniversary models built out of 6,000 total Checkers for 1972 Same
owner for the past 45 years and garage-kept for the last 40 years!
Anniversary Gold exterior (code 1092) with full black vinyl roof
and masked rear quarter windows plus brown interior (code 24)
Chevrolet 250 CID inline six-cylinder engine (code F0315CB) Turbo
Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission (code PA) and
3.31 gearing (code 33) Power front disc brakes (code DDP)
Documentation includes original window sticker; original car
invoice; the original vehicle order plus a copy; original bank
draft application receipt; original deposit ticket stub related to
purchase; original authorized Checker dealer's owner service
certificate; letter dated May 31, 1974 to original owner from
Checker regarding number of similar Checkers; two copies of The
Checkerboard News, Winter 2010 issue, which outline the original
owner's history with the car; a laminated October 1972 copy of
Changing Times, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine about Checker
and its vehicles; an original sales brochure plus a copy; a
cross-referenced Checker parts list; Checker photo collage; and a
hand-held scale model of an identical Checker Own this Vehicle from
$269 per month-call 636-600-4600 If you're 45 years old or older
and do not live in a large metropolitan area, as soon as you see a
Checker, you might hear that theme music and see the characters -
dispatcher Louie DePalma, cabbies Latka, Alex, Reverend Jim and the
others from that late 70s and early 80s situation comedy, "Taxi."
MotoeXotica Classic Cars is pleased to offer this rarely seen 1972
Checker Marathon Golden Anniversary model. It is one of only 45
anniversary models made in 1972. Anniversary models are denoted by
the full vinyl roof, deletion of the rear-most quarter windows and
Anniversary Gold exterior color. Have you ever seen one? This
Checker has had the same owner for the past 45 years, who took
loving care of it by ensuring it had a garage for 40 of those 45
years. According to him, he needed a new car in 1972 and he had
noted all of the Checkers in use at the airport near his home. He
saw the Anniversary Gold version while at a dealer and
spontaneously decided to buy that version. His wife became the
Checker's primary driver and she only needed the car on an
occasional basis at first, then the car was only driven during
summers as it aged. This example was made in Checker's Kalamazoo,
Michigan factory on March 18, 1972, ordered on March 28, 1972 by
Erhart Checker-Jeep-Volvo Motor Car Co., in Tonawanda, New York and
delivered to the original owner, who lived in Cheektowaga New York,
on April 28, 1972. This unit came with the following options -
black vinyl roof, front and rear bumper guards, rear roof pull
handles, rear window defogger, AM radio with antenna, full wheel
covers, rear chrome fender shields and the Anniversary equipment
described above. The Anniversary Gold paint (code 1092) and trim
are in overall very good order with minor imperfections, including
the full black vinyl roof, the car's bodywork is straight and
solid, the engine bay is in satisfactory order. The chrome bumpers
are in very good order. This Checker rolls on Michelin whitewall
radials, size 225/75R15 at all four corners. Each tire is mounted
to a steel wheel topped by a factory wheel cover. The tires are in
very good order while the wheel covers are in satisfactory shape.
Under the hood is a 250 CID straight six-cylinder engine (code
F0315CB) sourced from Chevrolet. It is bolted to a Turbo Hydramatic
400 three-speed automatic transmission (code PA) and has a 3.31:1
rear end (code 33). Driver convenience features include power front
disc brakes (code DDP) and a blower-type defroster for the rear
window. Inside is a dark brown (code 24) interior. The front and
rear bench seats are in great order. The rear seat area offers
passengers more than enough room to stretch out and get
comfortable. There are floor mats over satisfactory carpeting. The
tach and power antenna are inop. The light gray headliner is in
very good shape. GM also supplied the steering wheel, steering
column and some of the car's auxiliary controls. The inner door
panels and instrument panel, with its full array of gauges, are all
in better-than-average shape. Completing the interior is a factory
AM radio with speaker control. The Marathon was introduced in
September 1960 for the 1961 model year, alongside, and later
superseding, the Checker Superba Custom and differing from the
Superba with its better interior appointments. Originally, it
retained the Superba's A10 body code, whereas A9 was the code used
for taxis. The exterior of the Marathon had a full-width egg-crate
grille, differing from the Superba's narrower grille and inboard
parking lights. After a minor facelift for 1963, chassis codes
changed to A11 for taxis and A12 for passenger versions. Also, in
1963, the Marathon Town Custom, a limousine version on a longer
(129-inch versus 120) wheelbase appeared. This version, which
seated eight, received the A19E chassis code. A few years later,
this was changed to A12E. With the exception of United States
government-mandated and ongoing mechanical changes, the Marathon
remained virtually unchanged during its 21-year production run.
However, Checker did comply with all safety and emissions
requirements while in production. Notably, the Marathon's front
suspension A-frames interchange with a 1956 Ford. The engines used
were originally Continental-built L-head inline-sixes (OHV units
for the wagons), but these were exchanged for Chevrolet sixes and
small-block V-8s for the 1965 model year. Checker did not have a
nationwide dealer network and sold most of its production for fleet
service. Apart from taxicab use, Marathons were also bought by
police departments, most notably in Kalamazoo, where Checker had
its factory. In late '60s-early '70s, some black SCV (Stato Citt�
del Vaticano-Vatican City) plated A12 Marathons were used to
accommodate Pope Paul VI's entourage in motorcades. Documentation
includes original window sticker; original car invoice; the
original vehicle order plus a copy; original bank draft application
receipt; original deposit ticket stub related to purchase; original
authorized Checker dealer's owner service certificate; letter dated
May 31, 1974 to original owner from Checker regarding number of
similar Checkers; two copies of The Checkerboard News, Winter 2010
issue, which outline the original owner's history with the car; a
laminated October 1972 copy of Changing Times, Kiplinger's Personal
Finance Magazine about Checker and its vehicles; an original sales
brochure plus a copy; a cross-referenced Checker parts list;
Checker photo collage; and a hand-held scale model of an identical
Checker. Checker six-cylinder competition in 1972 included AMC's
Ambassador 258, Chevrolet's Chevelle 250 with Turbo-Thrift
Powerglide, Dodge's Coronet 225 with TorqueFlite, Ford's Gran
Torino 250, Mercury's Montego MX Brougham 250, Plymouth's Satellite
225 with TorqueFlite and Pontiac's LeMans 250 with Turbo-Thrift
Powerglide. Uncomplicated. Unpretentious. Honest. These adjectives
described the Checker in 1972 and they describe it today. If you're
interested in owning a unique piece of American automotive history,
please visit MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check out this
seldom-seen anniversary model. VIN: A12252523023 This car is
currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current
mileage on the odometer shows 5,676 miles. It is sold as is, where
is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND
DRIVE!!! CLICK HERE TI VIEW OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO!!! OR COPY AND PASTE
TO YOUR BROWSER: youtu.be/MFbzjah4AmI Note: Please see full terms
and conditions listed below that pertain to the purchase of any
said vehicle, thank you.
