I bought this 1981 Checker Marathon in Grand Rapids Michigan 2 years ago and my husband and I had a blast driving it back to Virginia. It was like going back in time. I had driven a 1964 Checker when I was in high school so it was definitely a drive down memory lane. Along the way we heard lots and lots of stories about a Checker in people's lives. Like the guy whose Dad ripped the door off one in front of the Waldorf in NYC after the taxi driver had insulted his mother. And since we drove through Kalamazoo on the way home we got a lot of attention in the town that built the car.

Ibelieve we are the third owners of the car as it has been relayed to me. The original owner lived in Michigan then Florida and sold the car to the owner I bought it from.1982 was the last year the Checker Motor Company made this iconic automobile. Designed to run 500000 miles this car only has 133500 original miles on it. We had it looked over by a Classic Auto Restore Shop who did a thorough going over.

Some highlights from his report: The engine and transmission appear to be in good working order as is the exhaust system.Starts right up and runs great.Structurally the body shows no significant signs of corrosion. The paint is thick and is doing an adequate job of protecting the metal. The interior is in good condition with the exception of the headliner which needs to be replaced. The door jambs door panels trunk lid hood and LS/RS front fenders which are fiberglass appear in good condition. They performed a check of body filler thickness across the body and found little evidence of any filler material which is a positive sign of the condition of the body metal beneath the paint. Upholstery is in great shape....no tears.

The downside: Like many Checkers the frame is considered to be in poor condition and has significant corrosion.The main frame channel beams have been repaired in the past but the overall integrity of the frameis in question.Specifically the left side front shock/spring tower is damaged and near failure.

The car looks beautiful though and is a head turner! If you would like send me an email and I will send you a video of the car.

I'm selling this vehicle as is where is. Payment by Cash or PayPal.

If you are the lucky winner you are responsible for picking it up in Charlottesville VA or arranging pickup and shipping.