If you’re into Hot Wheels castings that fly below the radar, the 2015 #Hot Wheels Entertainment Line certainly had one. The ’74 Checker Taxi Cab is just one beautiful looking car. Similar to the London Taxi, the 1:1 Checker Taxi was widely known in the United States for its renowned styling which was virtually unchanged from its inception in 1958 to its ultimately last production year in 1982. The manufacturer was the Checker Motor Corporation based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan who was best-known for this Taxi — which they also made a consumer version of in the Checker Marathon.

This car’s iconic nature translated well to the silver screen, as many movies shot in New York City (during the ’80s) featured this classic #Taxi. In fact, it was so iconic, it starred in the TV series, Taxi (1978-1983) which appropriately co-starred several big-name actors in Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch and even Christopher Lloyd.

Hot Wheels ’74 Checker Taxi Cab from the 2015 Entertainment line, from the TV Series, Taxi … rear view

The Hot Wheels ’74 Checker Taxi Cab is certainly a casting I would keep an eye on … specifically this release. As the #First Edition of this casting, and currently the lone release of it, it certainly hasn’t garnered a following yet. If my years in Hot Wheels collecting have taught me anything, its beautifully-designed castings that are under-utilized, often begin to increase in value once the masses discover how cool they are and that there are limited quantities available — since the bulk of collectors initially passed them up the first time around. You can still pick one up on secondary sales sites (shipped) for a couple bucks more than its original retail price of $5. Currently, we are unaware of any future releases of the casting, but this is one that is certainly deserving of another release.

RELEASE DETAILS: Yellow Body (metal). Clear Windows. Black Interior. Chrome Real Riders Deep-Dish Wheels. Unpainted Metal Base. Made in Malaysia. Toy# CFR35. Released in 2005 as part of the Hot Wheels Entertainment line.