Truck-based taxis have never seen a passenger.
The iconic yellow taxi cabs that make up New York City are a staple of the city. However, the Checker cab is undoubtedly the most famous icon of New York City. Checker was originally built to transport strangers around the city. The company made its last taxi in 1982, but it continued to make parts until it went bankrupt in 2009.
This is because another company was poised at the same time to be a dedicated taxi manufacturer. MetroKing was planning to convert Chevrolet Colorado pickups into taxis by using a customized passenger compartment instead of the bed, according to an report. These taxis were able to carry six people and could also be wheelchair-friendly. However, these photos shared by Gregg Martucci in his Junkyard Findings Facebook group clearly show that things did not go as planned.
The post is not embedable because it is in a group. Martucci however shared some photos showing various concepts at different stages of disassembly. Martucci claims that all the vehicles were brand-new and that some had GM parts still in their packaging. The passenger sections are completely unpainted and at least one vehicle still displays its window sticker.
Observers will notice a Chevrolet S10 nestled between the Colorados. It looks like it has been finished. It appears that MetroKing tried to enter the New York taxi industry for a while. This was confirmed by extensive research. A report by Business Opportunitiesin 2011 reveals a decade of patents and trademarks related to taxi designs as well as a fleet covering 500,000 miles. This would be back to the S10 era. However, it seems that the big launch into taxis never happened. According to the report, permit issues may have played a role in it.
MetroKing was never found out about its fate. However, there were brand-new vehicles that were waiting to be demolished in a junkyard. These trucks, which were never used, were unfortunately lost in the end.