Checker Motors Corporation was a Kalamazoo, Michigan, vehicle manufacturer and tier-one subcontractor that manufactured taxicabs used by Checker Taxi. Morris Markin established the company in 1922, initially named the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company, in Chicago through a merger of Commonwealth Motors and Markin Automobile Body. The manufacturer moved to Kalamazoo in 1923 and was renamed to Checker Motors in 1958. Checker made the iconic American taxi cab, valued by taxicab companies for its durability in heavy use. Special features included wide rear doors, large rear seats and trunks, and jump seats for two extra passengers. The company had trouble competing with fleet discounts offered by the larger manufacturers, as well as economies of scale in procuring components. The final models were produced in 1982. After 1982, Checker invested significantly in the third party manufacturing business, serving GM and Chrysler. On January 16, 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Corporate history Formation The Checker Cab Manufacturing Company was formed through the merger of two predecessor companies: Commonwealth Motors and Markin Automobile Body. Both had been acquired earlier by Morris Markin, who emigrated from Russia in 1913 and worked as a clothier in Chicago, Illinois, earning his fortune by winning a contract to supply uniforms to the United States Army during World War I. Commonwealth traced its history back to the DeSchaum Motor Syndicate (later Suburban Limiteds), founded in 1908 in Buffalo, New York, while Markin Auto Body, which was originally named the Lomberg Auto Body Manufacturing Company, was founded in the late 1910s by Russian immigrant Abraham Lomberg in Joliet, Illinois. In 1919, Commonwealth introduced the Mogul Taxi, combining a purpose-built taxicab body from Lomberg with the sturdy Commonwealth frame. After being contracted to supply bodies for Commonwealth, Abe Lomberg sought to expand his shop by taking a US$15,000 personal loan from his fellow immigrant from Russia, Markin. However, demand for the Mogul was lower than expected and Lomberg defaulted on the loan, surrendering his company to Markin in late 1920. When Markin took over, it was renamed Markin Automobile Body. Mogul sales continued to be slow but Commonwealth was rescued temporarily from bankruptcy by a large order from Checker Taxi in late 1920. At the time, Checker Taxi was a privately owned taxi operator based in Chicago that had no affiliation with Markin. However, Commonwealth was unable to repay its creditors and entered bankruptcy