July 21, 2011

Farewell to New York’s famous yellow taxis – in pictures

The classic New York taxi is being phased out to make way for more comfortable but way less cool Nissan mini vans. We take a look at the iconic cabs – in film and real life – over the past century

Yellow taxicabs: 2011: Nissan NV200 new taxicab of New York — A Nissan NV200 has been chosen as the winner of the Taxi of Tomorrow competition and will become the city's exclusive taxicab for a decade
Photograph: Getty Images Photograph: Action images

Yellow taxicabs: 1900s: An early electric hansom taxicab in New York — 1900s: An early electric hansom taxicab in New York Photograph: George Eastman House/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: 1923: First Woman Taxi Driver in New York City — 1923: Miss Maude Odell, one of the first women taxi drivers in New York Photograph: Corbis

Yellow taxicabs: 1940: New York taxicab workers strike — 1940: New York checkered taxicab workers strike Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: 1961: Audrey Hepburn in taxicab in Breakfast At Tiffany's — 1961: George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's Photograph: Allstar

Yellow taxicabs: 1976: Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro — 1976: Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver Photograph: Allstar

Yellow taxicabs: 1978: Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito in TV comedy — 1978: Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito in TV comedy Taxi Photograph: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: 1980: Steam rises from the sidewalk as businessmen get a taxicab — 1980: Steam rises from the sidewalk as businessmen get a taxicab Photograph: Ernst Haas/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Rosie Perez, Giancarlo Esposito in Night on Earth — 1991: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Rosie Perez and Giancarlo Esposito in the New York scene of Night on Earth. Five different cab drivers in five US and European cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night Photograph: Allstar

Yellow taxicabs: 1996: Vintage design taxicab — 1996: Vintage design taxicab Photograph: Leon Morris/Redferns

Yellow taxicabs: 2000: Woman using a PalmPilot in an internet taxicab — 2000: A woman uses a PalmPilot in the back of a taxi using its wireless internet access Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: The — 2004: The Taxi film premiere, featuring a taxicab drive-in Photograph: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: 2007: Three Ford Escape hybrid taxicabs — 2007: Three Ford Escape hybrid taxicabs. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city's taxi fleet will be fully hybrid by 2012 Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: Yellow taxi cab on the Brooklyn Bridge leaving Manhattan, New York — 2007: Yellow taxi cab on the Brooklyn Bridge leaving Manhattan Photograph: Alamy

Yellow taxicabs: 2010: A yellow taxi is being cleaned at the 55Stan Operating Corporation — 2010: A taxi being cleaned at the 55Stan Operating Corporation Photograph: Jan Johannessen/Getty Images

Yellow taxicabs: 2010: Sarah Jessica Parker hailing taxicab in 'Sex and the City 2' movie — 2010: Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City 2 Photograph: Startraks Photo/Rex Features

Leave a Comment Cancel comment