Checker Cab Manufacturing Co.
When it became obvious that World War II was heading to a victorious close, Checker engineers turned their attention to designing a new postwar car, investigating both rear-engine/rear-drive and front-engine/front-drive layouts. Several test cars were built, and the final version, called the Model D, boasted a transverse-mounted inline-six engine and front-wheel drive. A prototype was built, but the company decided to develop a more conventional cab for postwar production. That was the Checker Model A2, which debuted in February 1947.
The Model A2 was a big sedan that, appearance-wise, might have passed for a Pontiac or Chevrolet of the same vintage. Visually, it combined the central body section of the stillborn Model D with the chassis of the prewar Model A, with rear quarter windows added for a more conventional look, plus lengthened “suitcase” front fenders that blended into the front doors, and a pleasing eggcrate grille. It allowed Checker to offer an up-to-date product in the postwar era, while carrying over
