[Closed] First models of 2015 arrived today, plus some info on Terminal Taxis vs. Arcade Taxi Co.

First models of 2015 arrived today, plus some info on Terminal Taxis vs. Arcade Taxi Co.

Well, firstly, all three of my first models of 2015 arrived today. There was the Fiat 147 Pick-up (yes, it's spelled like that; that was the model name) from the Brazilian collection that you'll be hearing about in my next MAR article and also the two models from the AutoArt Photo Contest! I selected the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS (which I put on display on the model train layout getting serviced and two people photographing it) and the 1955 Le Mans Winner Jaguar D-Type (this one I actually put in a display case), which has some of the best shutlines I've ever seen on any 1/43 model. Seeing the invoice saying "Contest Winner" and "$0.00" were quite rewarding!

Now, below, in the post on the 1936 Buick, I saw mention of Terminal Taxi Cab, which was GM's attempt to try and out-Checker Checker. To the best of Dad's efforts (he's the taxi expert), the livery on these cars was solid yellow or white with an unknown color trim on the door surrounds, under the windows, and on parts of the roof. They also seem to have used Chevrolets. Their crest, however, was red, white, and blue with the word "TERMINAL" in all-capital letters and is different from the movie car. The car's front door also bizarrely seemed to lack fare prices. It just said "TTC" (Terminal Taxi Cab) in dark, block lettering. To be fair, though, Dad could only find two photos of the Terminal livery and perhaps the fares were listed in light-colored print or on only one side of the car.

Arcade Taxi Co. was one of several companies that was blown out of the water by Chrysler and Checker around the same time (they still existed afterward, but not as a medallion service). The Arcade Taxi Co. livery was actually very similar to the 1936 Buick used in the movie "The Phantom". It was yellow under a black band under white, though the taxi sign was a far simpler affair (I think it just said "TAXI") and the rear doors where the crest on the movie car and the partwork car was located said either "Arcade Taxi" or "Arcade Taxi Co." (there's some conflicting info; virtually all stems from verbal descriptions of the cars). Arcade actually used Buicks, at least prior to 1935; most of the info my Dad has on them is from around then. I can't help but wonder if someone saw the old Arcade livery while making the movie and added it to a '36 Buick. Looking at the inside of the car (the prop, that is), it seems unusually Spartan. I can't help but wonder if they bought an old Arcade Taxi Co. car (given that they probably purchased '36 Buicks in 1935 if they knew GM was about to muscle in on them), had no idea what the Terminal livery looked like (not many people seem to), and then just deleted the black band, made the yellow into yellow-orange so it would stick out more without the black center band, and they had their taxi.