Checker Aerobus "We get it. A Miller-Meteor-bodied Cadillac ambulance/hearse has all sorts of intrinsic flare flair, fit into the mid-1980s fetishization of the Fifties, and in the long run made a great choice for the vehicle of choice for the original Ghostbusters film, given the countless replicas that have appeared since. And once the die was cast, the sequel had to follow suit." "But – and be honest here – was the Cadillac really the most appropriate choice for a bunch of geared-up New Yorkers negotiating New York streets? No, it was not. And on that point we’re seemingly in agreement with illustrators Benton Jew and John Bell, who both offered alternate versions of the Ecto-1a that was to appear in Ghostbusters II." "Jew, for instance, envisioned a Checker Aerobus. This was smart. Like the Miller-Meteor, an Aerobus would have offered plenty of space for the ghostbusters team and their equipment, especially if they’d have gone with with a station wagon version rather than a sedan version, as Jew’s drawing proposed. But the Checker would have offered a far more rugged chassis able to handle New York’s roads, better parts availability (even though Checker production ended in 1982, Checker cabs were still in service at the time), and a deeper connection to the Big Apple. Stantz could have conceivably picked up an Aerobus for even less than the $4,800 he spent on the Miller-Meteor."