BRITISHTAXIMANBeing a Londoner, I’ve always held a special place in my heart for the iconic black cab. Imagine my delight in 2004 when I discovered “London Taxi’s of North America” (LTNA), an authorized distributor selling road-legal black cabs right here in the US. The thought of owning a piece of London in my adopted country was thrilling!
These weren’t your typical repurposed police cars often found in US taxi fleets. These were brand new, left-hand drive vehicles, specifically designed and certified for American roads. My daughter Zoe and I excitedly hopped on the Acela to Boston, reaching speeds of 120mph, to pick up our first cab, #002. We cruised back to DC in the 4-cylinder turbo diesel, a more leisurely 65mph, savoring the experience. We were so smitten that we even purchased cab #006!
At $55,000 each, these weren’t your typical budget-friendly taxis. They were classified as limousines, a world away from the used police cruisers that taxi operators usually bought at auction for a couple thousand dollars. I was used to seeing Mercedes Benz taxis in Germany and Volvos in Sweden – never beat-up old fleet vehicles.
The history of the London black cab is intertwined with several manufacturers, but the Austin 12/4, introduced in 1930, is the one that captured hearts worldwide. I even have a model of it sitting on my desk!
Other notable manufacturers of London black cabs include:
- Mann and Overton (1908-1932)
- Beardmore (1919-1966)
- Carbodies (1925-1968)
- Winchester (1927-1938)
- Morris (1934-1948)
- Austin (1930-1997)
- London Taxis International (1989-2010)
- The London Taxi Company (2010-2017)
- London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) (2017-present)
Our cars were 2003 models from LTI and in fact I have a model of one on my desk.
So why, with my pricey, limousine-classified London black cabs, did I decide to start a taxi company in a market saturated with a completely different business model? Find out in Part 2 – The Birth of the British Taxi Company.
