Last updated on June 26, 2026
Today’s car is a 1983 Checker A12E Limousine – The Last Checker Built owned by Hillary Bibicoff, which I photographed at the Million Dollar Breakfast Club in Marina del Rey, CA. Finished in white with gold trim over a white leather interior, this unique limousine is powered by its original 5.7-liter (350 CID) Chevrolet V8 producing approximately 160 horsepower backed by a Turbo Hydramatic (TH400) three-speed automatic transmission and a 2.72:1 rear axle. The limousine rides on an independent front suspension with coil springs, wishbones, telescopic shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar, while the rear utilizes a heavy-duty live axle with wide semi-elliptic multi-leaf springs. Braking is handled by power-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes. Featuring a one-of-a-kind nine-inch body insert between the front and rear doors, this unusual Checker stands apart from every other A12E limousine built.
To understand why this Checker is so significant, you have to understand the company that built it. Founded by Morris Markin in 1922, Checker Motors Corporation became one of America’s most recognizable automobile manufacturers. Checker built its reputation on durability, practicality, and reliability. That philosophy helped make the distinctive Checker taxicab an American icon, transporting millions of passengers through the streets of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and countless other cities for decades.
Although best known for taxis, Checker also offered passenger sedans, station wagons, airport shuttles, and long-wheelbase limousines. Among the rarest of these models was the A12E limousine. Built on a stretched 129-inch wheelbase chassis, the A12E provided generous rear passenger accommodations. Designed for executive transportation, the limousine offered the same rugged construction and dependable mechanical components that made Checker famous while providing greater comfort and passenger accommodations.
Checker relied on proven engineering and heavy-duty construction. Body-on-frame architecture, commercial-grade suspension components, readily available and reliable Chevrolet drivetrains, and simple mechanical systems allowed many Checkers to accumulate hundreds of thousands of miles during their working lives. Their reputation for durability became legendary, particularly among taxi operators who valued reliability above all else.
By the early 1980s, however, the automotive world had changed dramatically. Rising production costs, increasingly stringent federal safety and emissions regulations, and declining sales placed enormous pressure on the small independent manufacturer. In July 1982, Checker officially ended automobile production, seemingly closing the final chapter in the company’s sixty-year history.
Yet Checker’s story was not quite finished.
The story of this limousine begins with Neil Rosenstein, founder and CEO of Nevada-based Jackpot Enterprises, a company that installed, operated, and serviced slot machines in bars, restaurants, and other non-casino locations. Rosenstein was a close friend and business associate of David Markin, the final CEO of Checker Motors Corporation. Through Rosenstein’s persistence and Markin’s support, one final Checker limousine was completed after regular automobile production had ended.
According to Checker historians, this limousine was completed in 1983 from existing Checker parts inventories by three former Checker employees working in the former Cab Services building after regular automobile production had ceased. The brass plaque mounted inside the limousine identifies it as a “Checker Custom Limousine, Final A12E Manufactured, Neil Rosenstein, May 1983.” Combined with the vehicle’s 1983 serial plate and supporting historical documentation, the evidence strongly suggests that this limousine represents the final automobile completed by Checker Motors Corporation.
This Checker is unique even among other A12E limousines. Most Checker limousines achieved their additional length through extended rear doors. As with many one-of-one automobiles, the origins of this limousine have been told in more than one way by former Checker employees. According to later research published in Checker World, the car began life in 1981 as an experimental project to determine whether an A12E could be built using standard rear doors and a nine-inch body insert to eliminate the sagging that sometimes occurred with the longer limousine doors. The partially completed car was then set aside at the factory. When Neil Rosenstein later requested that one final Checker be completed, the unfinished experimental limousine was retrieved from storage and completed in 1983 using existing Checker parts inventories. Earlier accounts suggested the experimental body may also have proved useful because extended limousine doors were no longer available, but regardless of which explanation is correct, the result was the one-of-a-kind Checker A12E seen today.
The Bibicoff family’s relationship with the Checker began in 1985. Harvey Bibicoff, who handled investor relations for Jackpot Enterprises, and his wife Jackie visited Neil Rosenstein in Las Vegas. During the visit, Rosenstein loaned them the limousine for the weekend. Jackie immediately fell in love with the car. When it came time to return home, Harvey attempted to contact Rosenstein about returning the car and purchasing it but was unable to reach him. The Checker made the trip back to Los Angeles anyway. When Rosenstein finally reached Harvey and reportedly asked, “Where is my (expletive) car?” Harvey explained that Jackie wanted to buy it. After some negotiation, a deal was reached, and the limousine became part of the Bibicoff family. Documentation accompanying the car confirms the sale was completed in March 1985, beginning a family ownership history that continues today.
For many years, the Checker served as Jackie’s personal car. Hillary grew up around the limousine—known in the family as the “Burgundy Bomber”—and developed her own appreciation for the unusual vehicle. Despite holding a commercial driver’s license, she was never allowed to drive it. On special occasions, however, her parents would allow her to hire a chauffeur and use the limousine for events such as concerts and awards shows. Over time, the car saw less use and eventually spent years sitting dormant in the family garage.
Hillary never forgot about the Checker. Having grown up around the limousine and admired it for years, she always hoped that one day she might have the opportunity to drive it herself. As she learned more about the car’s unique history and place in Checker history, she became increasingly determined to preserve it. For years she encouraged her parents to restore the limousine, and when that didn’t happen, she repeatedly asked if she could take over the project herself. Finally, in late 2025, Hillary assumed responsibility for the limousine and immediately began the process of bringing the historic vehicle back to life. Legal ownership was transferred into her name, ensuring the car would remain in the family for another generation. Since then, she has invested considerable time, effort, and resources into returning the car to reliable operating condition. Mechanical repairs, electrical work, fuel-system restoration, and countless smaller projects have steadily transformed the dormant limousine back into a roadworthy automobile.
Exact production figures for Checker’s A12E limousine were never published, but surviving examples are exceptionally rare today. By 1983, automobile production at Checker had effectively ended, making this hand-assembled limousine one of the most historically significant vehicles ever to wear the Checker name. While performance was never its primary mission, the Chevrolet-powered A12E provided dependable service, comfortable highway cruising, and the durability that became synonymous with the Checker brand.
Today, more than forty years after it was assembled and decades after most people believed Checker’s story had ended, the final A12E continues to travel Southern California roads. Its combination of historical significance, one-of-one construction, and remarkable family ownership makes it unlike anything else on the road. Whether displayed at an orphan car show, a Cars & Coffee event, or heading to Sunday brunch, the limousine inevitably attracts a crowd eager to learn its story. Thanks to Jackie Bibicoff’s decision to bring the limousine home to Southern California and Hillary Bibicoff’s lifelong love of the car and commitment to preserving its history, the final Checker built continues to carry on the legacy of Checker Motors.
Thank you for riding along with me and for being part of the Frank’s Cars in the Hood community. Frank Nesta
