This 1969 Checker A-11 was reportedly sold new to a private owner in Seattle, Washington. It was purchased by its second owner in 1973 and remained under their ownership in Washington until it was purchased by the seller in 2020 and moved to California. The car is finished in silver over blue vinyl and nylon upholstery, and power comes from a 250ci inline-six mated to a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes chrome bumpers, side-marker lamps, a tow ball, an aftermarket amplifier, a heater, and lap belts. This Checker is now offered with a clean California title in the seller’s name.
The Checker Motors Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan, produced taxi cabs from 1922 to 1982 and entered the private-passenger-car market in late 1959 with the introduction of the Series A-10 Superba. The Superba was superseded in 1962 by the Marathon, which remained in production for the next 20 years, offered sedan and station-wagon bodywork, and primarily carried the A-12 chassis code. The A-11 code—as applied to this example—was used for taxis. A total of 5,417 Checker taxis and passenger cars were produced for 1969.
This car was delivered from the factory in Kimberly Red (L7), and it underwent a color change to metallic blue before it was repainted in silver—reportedly a 1987 Cadillac color—in the 1990s. Details include quad headlamps, side-marker lamps, a driver-side mirror, body-side moldings, a tow ball, and chrome bumpers with overriders. One of the reverse lights does not work, and imperfections in the finish can be seen in the photo gallery below.
Body-color 15″ steel wheels wear chrome hubcaps and are mounted with American Classic whitewall radial tires that were installed in December 2022. A black-finished spare wheel with a Hankook tire is stowed in the trunk compartment. The A-11 rode on a 120″ wheelbase and featured an independent front suspension and a live rear axle with leaf springs. Unassisted finned drum brakes are positioned at each wheel, and a brake-fluid flush was performed under the seller’s ownership.
The cabin features front and rear bench seats trimmed in blue metallic vinyl with nylon inserts, and matching upholstery extends to the door panels. Equipment includes a heater, front headrests, and front and rear lap belts. A replacement dimmer switch was installed under the seller’s ownership along with an aftermarket amplifier with an auxiliary jack and speakers. The dash-mounted AM/FM/cassette stereo does not work, and cracks in the front floor mat and a tear on the front-seat bottom are shown in the gallery.
The two-spoke steering wheel has a cracked rim, and it frames a 120-mph Checker-branded speedometer along with readouts for amperage, oil pressure, water temperature, and fuel level. The dashboard lights do not work. The five-digit odometer is said to have rolled over once under previous ownership; it currently shows 7k miles, and approximately 10k miles have been added under the seller’s stewardship.
The Chevrolet-sourced 250ci inline-six was factory rated at 155 horsepower at 4,200 rpm. The alternator was replaced in 2024, and additional maintenance performed under the seller’s ownership included replacement of the radiator, thermostat, and ignition points as well as fluid services. There is smoke on startup, and the valve-stem seals leak, according to the seller.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission that is said to have been rebuilt at some point under prior ownership. The seller notes a noise from the transmission in first and second gears.
Checker specified the A-11 chassis code for taxi cabs, although the seller states that this particular A-11 was never used for that purpose.
