Everyone seems to be just waiting for a sucker to come along and buy Janie, the last NYC NY medallioned Checker Cab, but she's apparently a neglected basket case being flipped for profit for the past decade

When retired, it made a fortune for the owner/driver, Earl Johnson who sold it for $134,500 in December 1999, and he went back to Jamaica. Rich.

Christie's made a big deal about it, but only sold it for $9,400 in 2006 http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4729756 because the shine was off the sentimental value... and lots more rust set in while it gathered dust.

Yesterday she sold for $7700 at Bonhams. There are still Checkers for sale in better shape, without rusted frames, because once that rust sets in, it's terminal til cut out. Few go that far to save a car, it's just spending a fortune.

Janie, a 1978 Checker A11, racked up almost a million miles and wore out two engines over 21 years behind its wheel.

He would have kept Janie in service even longer had the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission not required him to replace the car’s chassis to keep it in service.

He should have done that, and charged double to get a ride in the LAST Checker Taxi of New York City.

Still, Janie remained in operation until July of 1999, outlasting the next-to-last operating NYC Checker cab by about eight months and the Checker company’s production of automobiles by 17 years.

Some info from http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/04/last-of-checker-taxi-cabs-1n11-also_25.html
Photos from https://www.facebook.com/groups/145497838799022/?fref=nf