# I saw a rare car today... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 25, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582 "2012-01-25T06:01:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/1 "2012-01-25T06:01:39Z")
The Checker Marathon Medicar. [![](https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3634868145_788fd91679.jpg) ](https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3634868145_788fd91679.jpg) One of only 100. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/3623/3634868145_788fd91679_b.jpg "Checker Marathon") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/isadoreberg/3634868145/) ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/2 "2012-01-25T17:17:49Z")
Pretty cool. When I was in high school, a local guy used to drive a Marathon. Homely but capable. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/3 "2012-01-25T17:46:28Z")
Great cars. Ugly looking. But built like a steel outhouse. My dad’s company car was a Checker Marathon, purchased by the company owner for reasons that make no sense. The car was huge inside and had those flip down extra seats on the back of the front seat the way the cabs used to. Luckily you didn’t mistake it for a [57 TBird](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=639490). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/4 "2012-01-25T18:02:54Z")
Coincidentally, I saw a Marathon parked on a side street here in Portland just the other day. They were huge inside, with fold-down extra seats so you could easily seat five in the back seat. Oops, just saw TriPolar’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/5 "2012-01-25T20:07:21Z")
Very cool! That reminds me, the last time I was out driving with my mom, we saw a modified classic car at a gas station. I don’t know what model, but it had back fins. And the owner had completely repaneled the car in a shiny blonde wood. It was eye-popping! My mom took a picture, although I don’t know if she kept it. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-rare-car-today/610582/6 "2012-01-25T23:51:12Z")
I miss Checkers. I drove a yellow cab in NYC back in the early eighties. Those cars were indestructible. They were great to ride in as a passenger, too – so much room in the back.