So Cal Metro found and posted this tired Checker Aerobus. I can well imagine it led a long and hard life. Not all of these were used strictly as airport shuttles, but its name does rather suggest that as its primary market. This was of course in the day before van-based shuttle buses were invented, or at least popularized.
I found one in a more scenic setting a few years back:
I found this one sitting in front of the historic Glacier Park Lodge. That one was still in use, shuttling guests from the nearby train station to the lodge. And because it had also been used to take folks up on the steep ans scenic Going to the Sun Road, it had a four speed manual. Full story on the Aerobus and this particular one here.
These weren’t just “stretched” Checker Marathons; they had unique heavy duty frames and suspensions, and used different drive trains too. As in a Chrysler polysphere V8, until 1965, when Chevy 327 and then 350s took over.
Aerobusses were also used by resorts and private boarding schools to transport from airports and train stations to the destination.
There was one of these running around town here ten or so years ago. I think it’s since been scrapped, though.
Our neighbor across the street had a Checker Aerobus to haul vacationers to and fro the Borscht Belt. His widow kept it in the garage and I schemed to buy it with paper route money.
Magnificent tank.
The US embassy in Montevideo had one in the ’80s in what I think was an uncommon metallic dark gold color. Never saw it parked anywhere, though, so I wasn’t able to see the interior or any details. I’m not even sure if it was brought here new, as I don’t remember if the wipers were in the same direction or crossed, neither if it had side marker lights.
We have a couple still earning their keep in Seattle, Just call 1-800-Get-Drugs and Uncle Ike will send one of his out to pick you up and bring you to one of his stores.
https://twitter.com/UncleIkes206
Apparently he has 3 as there is a black one at the store that I regularly pass and there are also pictures of a white one too.
https://www.google.com/search?q=uncle+ike%27s+checker+aerobus&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=MwZq9n7HahNMJM%253A%252CbKdzkayz6flbfM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQl5m4KPYBm_HqRhrNwHTVWjxUh0g&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib8JTW8a_jAhU5FzQIHX6SAp4Q9QEwAHoECAYQBA#imgrc=_&vet=1
That is neat!
Almost makes we want to ask them for a ride to their store just to get to ride in an Airporter. They do appear to be nicely restored, cosmetically at least from the one I regularly drive by.
I just now noticed that the Aerobus used a different rear fender opening than the sedans or the regular wagons. That rear axle seems to stick out pretty wide, so perhaps they needed the full cutouts to accommodate the axle width.
There are a couple pictures of early models with the regular wagon fenders where the wheel openings are partially covered at the tops.
Slightly off-topic, but the biggest taxi company in my city at the time, once used a small fleet of old Flxible buses for airport service. The international airport being some distance from the downtown core. This pic is from 1974.
While in college in the 1970’s, an Aerobus delivered the roughest, noisiest, most miserable field trip ride I’ve ever experienced. One can just imagine how anyone faced with a ride on rough urban streets from an airport to hotel dreaded the trip if they ever had ridden in one before
When I was a kid I lived on the main drag to Edgewood Arsenal (now part of Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD), I saw these vehicles as they were taking soldiers to and from the post. Of course, they were olive drab and looked like they had been in the fleet for a long time.
When Dad bought his new Marathon sedan in 1965 (which would eventually be my HS daily driver), he brought home brochures. At 9 years old, I was fascinated by the Aerobus!
Sometime in the 70’s, a friend bought one which he intended to hot rod. We lost touch; I have no idea whether he actually followed through with that plan or not.
I rode in a Checker Aerobus back in the early eighties to complete the last 26 miles of a Greyhound Bus Line trip from Madison WI to the small town of Plymouth WI. We disembarked the bus in Fond du Lac and there it was waiting – the multi door Checker wagon, being around 20 I thought it was kind of cool.
I don’t remember how the Checker rode, but did think it was kind of odd It was part of the Greyhound fleet. I do recall on the return trip the bus stopped in Waupun and two recently released prisoners got on board to travel the rest of the way to Madison. After this adventure if I wasn’t traveling by car on a shorter trip I preferred to travel by train.
I saw these doing local hotel to airport business in my hometown in the ’70s. It’s great to see them here, as I was a sad child when they vanished.