Selling Checker Automobiles to the People During the 1960s

A Post from Ed -- 

1969 Checker Marathon

1959 Checker Superba

Checker started to market and sell to private citizens in 1959 (see ad attached here) and tried to make the pitch that the Checker sedan was American's only "true family car." (sort of a stretch of the imagination but obviously they wee pitching the rather expansive interior space of the vehicle.

The nationwide dealer network continued to grow through the early 1960s and during the decade of the 60s Checker usually managed to sell between 6,m000 and 7,000 cars a year'. The highest production was in 1962 when sales hit 8,000 vehicles. Sedans and especially station wagons (Marathons) were advertised in upscale national magazines.  The ads targeted upper-middle class people emphasizing the cars' durability and attention to quality.  Were Checker station wagons the kind of vehicles that -- a few years later -- Volvo buyers would fancy?  Both were boxy, utilitarian, and perceived as safe and durable.

In 1962 -- the highest year of production -- approximately 20% of overall production was sold to private individuals but by the early 1970's that percentage declined to 10%.

I still wonder about the kind of people that  bought Checkers.  Did they have to continually address the question friends and neighbors would ask: "But you drive a taxi cab, right?" given Checker's historical association with the cab industry.  What sense of "pride" would a Checker owner hold?  Would the pride of ownership largely surround the personal value of longevity and affirmation of conservative styling given the design rarely changed over the years?  In truth these cars were "durable" largely because they were simple in design (less to go wrong) and with a traditional and simple drivetrain and proven engines sourced from Chevrolet.