Taxi Models: Past and Present

 Section 1: Taxi Past

------------

1922 Checker model H

Sourced from Checker Taxi Stand Page and also @ CoachBuilt.com

old fashined new york taxi
Originally uploaded by wukong 悟空 (Xuemin Guan)

1929 General Motors Truck Corp. 

Checker Cab
Originally uploaded by Hugo90

36' Checker Y-8 

The taxis in this picture are almost certainly Chicago cabs, but I'm almost as certain that the Checker Y-8 was used in New York as well.

 

New York Taxi - 1944
Originally uploaded by D200Chris

"When in New York-

Do as New Yorkers Do!

CHOOSE the CAB YOU RIDE IN

Don't just take the first cab that comes along

National Transportation Company- (Parmalee System Management) offers you the finest taxicab service in New York. It costs no more that the ordinary kind and is- CLEAN - SAFE - COMFORTABLE"

Chevrolet

Ray next to old fashioned American taxi
Originally uploaded by friskierisky

Despite being far far away in time and space, this car has all the true details, right down to the red apple shaped medallion mounted on the grille. 

Desoto Skyview Cab
Originally uploaded by Randy52

DeSoto Skyview (mid 40's)

Desoto interior
Originally uploaded by Randy52

Chrysler

Back by popular demand
Originally uploaded by dM.nyc™

TAXI 07 02
Originally uploaded by siddeshwarshine

56' Checker A-8

Checker (model years 61'-82') 

The civilian version was the Checker Marathon. The taxi version was more New York than a slice of pizza or the Empire State Building, despite Checker coming out of Michigan.

All things Checker @ Checker Stand

and more @ Wikipedia

73' Plymouth Satellite

84' Dodge Diplomat

80' Cheverolet Caprice

The Three cars 

sourced @: Lost Soul Entertainment

Peugeot 505 Diesel (model years late 70's early 80's) 

A solution to the gasoline crisis of the 80's. 

Sourced here: 505 taxi USA

Ford Explorer (circa 96')

Lincoln Town Car (circa 96')

There was only one Lincoln taxi in New York City, only approved for a probationary period.  

Chevrolet Caprice (circa 96')

Random sourced photo (model year 92')

In the late 90's, the typical taxi was in transition from the Caprice to the Crown Victoria. The preference was for the Caprice, but due to low sales General Motors soon stopped production. 

The colt like love for the large american car and the monopoly that they had over police and taxi markets possessed an entrepreneur to consider purchasing the entire production line and the rights to produce the vehicles once General Motors gave up on production. But after Chevy gave up on the Caprice the fleets turned their interest towards Ford's Crown Vic'. 

With the entire market, Ford decided to extend production year after year, although there were always rumors that ford would soon end the Crown Victoria. Again an entrepreneur suggested taking over the operation, but Ford, with a strangle hold on the police and taxi market, has continued production to this day. 

Currently Ford has limited sales to only fleets and removed the Crown Victoria from all pamphlets. According to Wikipedia, Ford will stop production completely in 2009.

Ford Crown Victoria' (circa 95')

Isuzu Oasis / A.K.A. Honda Odyssey (circa 96')

The Odyssey/Oasis, was the city's first compact taxi since the Peugeot, and I believe the first van-taxi for New York. 

The passenger doors swung out rather than sliding and were fairly large, which I think were requirements for the Taxi & Limo Commission. One feature were passenger seats that could be positioned either forward, for trunk space, or rearward for legroom. I rode in one with the seats forward once and had difficulty getting my 5' 7" body out of the car with my bag.

I imagine this car was fundamental in pushing taxi thinking outside of the box, suggesting that a taxicab needn't be a rear-wheel drive V-8 engined, wide bodied, long wheel base mammoth. With these 4-cylinder vans, drivers took a different, usually less aggressive approach to driving.

Section 2: Taxi Present- 

----------------

A: The Hybrids:

Lexus RX 400h (26 mpg city)

There was an article somewhere on how one of the Lexus driver/owners had a completely clean driving record even after driving for 30 years, impressive.  

Toyota Highlander hybrid (4 wheel drive, 27 mpg city) 

Toyota Highlander hybrid (model years 01' to 07')

Toyota Prius (48 mpg city)

Toyota Camry hybrid (33 mpg city)

Ford Escape hybrid (2 wheel drive, 34 mpg city)

The best bang for the buck, the Escape is sweeping the city with more than 1,000 vehicles both privately driven and also, owned by taxi fleets.

Ford Escape hybrid (model years 01' to 07')

Nissan Altima hybrid (35 mpg city)

This car has absolutely no advertising. The only way people learn there is a Nissan hybrid is through word of mouth. Nissan is actually borrowing hybrid technology from Toyota. The Altima is second only to the Toyota Prius in best city gas mileage on the approved T&LC list. Fleets are already starting to purchase the car. 

For more info: treehugger.com

Edmunds.com

06' Saturn Vue Green Line

(25 mpg city)

There since has been a larger redesigned Saturn, but no one has purchased it for taxi services yet.

There is one elusive 07' Honda Civic Hybrid that I haven't shot with the camera yet.  

The one and only Honda Civic taxi in New York has less legroom, higher gas mileage, and relatively similar if less trunk room than the environmental front runner: Toyota Prius. The only image I could find on the internet was taken in Hartford, Connecticut, and is most likely not the real NYC taxi, which had no advert on the roof.   

Sourced @ GreenHybrid.com

The Civic is no longer on the approved TLC list.

B: Wheelchair Accessible Taxis:

07' Chevrolet Uplander TC: Eldorado National Mobility

Image sourced from: Car Buyers Notebook

07' Dodge Caravan: Eclipse Mobility

Ford Freestar 

Being phased out by The Taxi and Limousine Commision

Toyota Sienna: Freedom Motors Kneelvan (on right)

C: Regular Taxis:

Ford Crown Victoria Stretch

For the past 4 years or so all Crown Victoria NYC taxis have had extended rear doors

Toyota Sienna

Honda Odyssey

Being phased out by the Taxi and Limousine Commission

Honda Odyssey (model years 99' to 04')

Ford Explorer (circa 06')

How's this for hilarious, the only image I could find on the internet for the last Ford Explorer taxi involves the bizarre sport of "Extreme Ironing" go figure. The Explorer is no longer on the approved list.

D: The Actors:

Ford Crown Victoria @ Brooklyn Bridge Downtown, on the set of "Pelham 1 2 3" (the remake)

Toyota Sienna 

of "The Cash Cab": A television game show 

BTW I take back what I wrote on the earlier post a while back about the show. One of my passengers said they knew someone who participated. She told me her friends were NOT pre-selected for the show. 

Also, the Driver is an officially licensed cab driver, and the cab is totally official... err... well.. The Taxi and Limousine Commission approved it despite having a completely eccentric meter, flashing lights in the roof, tinted windows that wouldn't even pass inspection on a normal civilian vehicle, and a trunk loaded with video and audio recording and transmitting equipment. Not to mention that Ben readily tells all the viewers that he won't take you out of Manhattan, sorry folks, you can't win, like, uhh, 10,000 dollars.