Hemmings Daily: The weird mid-Seventies vision for the future of American taxis

Not a single American auto manufacturer participated in the Museum of Modern Art's 1976 exhibit dedicated to exploring the future of taxis. Conspicuous in its absence was Checker, the carmaker that had throughout its entire existence been synonymous with taxis and other utilitarian versions of the automobile. However, two upstart American companies did take part, and they both placed their bets on steam engines replacing internal combustion. Steam may have last powered a production automobile in the early 1930s, [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Wednesday, October 16, 2019 [The mid-Seventies American vision for the future of taxis relied on... steam propulsion?]( [The mid-Seventies American vision for the future of taxis relied on... steam propulsion?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Not a single American auto manufacturer participated in the Museum of Modern Art's 1976 exhibit dedicated to exploring the future of taxis. Conspicuous in its absence was Checker, the carmaker that had throughout its entire existence been synonymous with taxis and other utilitarian versions of the automobile. However, two upstart American companies did take part, and they both placed their bets on steam engines replacing internal combustion. Steam may have last powered a production automobile in the early 1930s, ... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day: 1991 Toyota Corolla GTS]( [Hemmings Find of the Day: 1991 Toyota Corolla GTS]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Original 1991 Toyota Corolla GTS for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: 6900 Original miles. 100 miles added in 2019. Covered, on blocks in heated storage for most of its life. Properly maintained by a licensed mechanic. 100% Original. No leaks Cold A/C. Showroom condition other than a few minor blemishes. Original tires with no weather checks, the car runs, drives and smells like brand new. Very fun car and a real conversation piece. Could be the best survivor in existence of this breed. ..[Read More]( [When Oldsmobile's W29 442 package met the new Colonnade coupe]( [When Oldsmobile's W29 442 package met the new Colonnade coupe]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - Oldsmobile's highly popular Cutlass was tastefully reimagined on General Motor's new Colonnade A-body platform for 1973. Its front-end design incorporated large single headlamps flanking grilles (spring-loaded at the top) that could retract and rebound like the shock-absorber-mounted government-mandated 5-mph bumper to reduce impact damage. The header panel's raised center section was continued in the curvaceous hood, providing a perfect plat form for a stripe. Sculpted side styling emphasized large wheel openings and l...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [1977-83 BMW 320i Buyer's Guide]( [1977-83 BMW 320i Buyer's Guide]( Posted by Jeff Koch - A sedan that wasn't boring. A sporty car that could seat four comfortably. A four-cylinder engine that stormed. The BMW 2002 offered all of the above and was a hard act to follow. Yet, BMW needed to evolve. The 2002 was getting long in the tooth, having been designed in the days before our nation's new bumper, emissions, and safety legislation came into effect. At the same time, the company needed to be smart enough to not discard the sporting feel that brought them to the dance of big-time American sales and exposure. ...[Read More]( [Lost Import Dealership - Sheppard's Import Motors, Tampa, Florida]( [Lost Import Dealership - Sheppard's Import Motors, Tampa, Florida]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Unless you lived in Central Florida during the late 1950s, Joe Sheppard's was not a household name. Yet, as hardcore racing historians know, Sheppard, The Tampa Hotshoe, was a very successful racer who took on the most famous names in racing at the time - Fangio, Hill, Moss, Cunningham - and who raced all over Florida, in Nassau, and even in Cuba. And much, if not all, of that success is due to his father, Jack Sheppard, and his Tampa-based dealership, Import Motors. Born Harlo John Sheppard in Davenport, Iow...[Read More]( [Palo Alto, California, 1973]( [Palo Alto, California, 1973]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: February 1973 Location: Stanford University, Palo Alto, California Source: Stanford Libraries What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 10/16/1958: El Camino debuts UPCOMING EVENTS [Cruise Night]( October 23, 2019 - Naperville, IL [FALL NORMAN SWAP MEET October 24th 25th 26th 2019]( October 24, 2019 - Norman, OK [Great American Mountain Rally Revival 2019]( October 25, 2019 - Saratoga Springs, NY, NY [Sedgwick Street Rodders 20th Annual Fall Swap Meet]( October 25, 2019 - Hutchinson, KS [Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance]( October 25, 2019 - Las Vegas, NV [California Hot Rod Reunion]( October 25, 2019 - Bakersfield, CA [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED AUCTIONS [1956 Lincoln MK 2]( [1956 Lincoln MK 2]( [1932 Ford Model 18]( [1932 Ford Model 18]( [1967 Chevrolet Camaro]( [1967 Chevrolet Camaro]( [1976 Pontiac Trans Am]( [1976 Pontiac Trans Am]( [1970 Chevrolet Chevelle]( [1970 Chevrolet Chevelle]( [2009 Pontiac Solstice]( [2009 Pontiac Solstice]( [1964 Dodge Polara]( [1964 Dodge Polara]( [1969 Chevrolet Camaro]( [1969 Chevrolet Camaro]( PROMOTED LISTING [1956 Ford Fairlane]( [1956 Ford Fairlane]( [$29,500]( PROMOTED LISTING [1977 Plymouth Volare]( [1977 Plymouth Volare]( [$7,000]( PROMOTED LISTING [1968 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1968 Chevrolet Corvette]( [$6,995]( PROMOTED LISTING [1967 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1967 Chevrolet Corvette]( [Auction]( [1954-1955 Chevy Truck Front Clip Fenders Hood]( [1954-1955 Chevy Truck Front Clip Fenders Hood]( [$850]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [Project Apollo, Part VIII: Squeak, Rattle, Roll]( [Project Apollo, Part VIII: Squeak, Rattle, Roll]( [Restoration on a Budget - Quick Tips: 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite]( [Restoration on a Budget - Quick Tips: 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Hemmings Instagram]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. 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