click zoom to display a high-res image
R.L. Bender Deluxe Cab at 1,000,000 Miles
Image
Bob Bender, wearing a business suit and a chauffeur hat, is posing next to "Nellie," his shiny, black 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood parked in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol. He typically parked his cab at a taxi stand in front of the Park Inn. His taxi service, "R.L. Bender Deluxe Cab," flat rates, and contact phone number are in yellow and white letters on the doors and front quarter panel. The white sign on the rear quarter panel commemorates his limousine cab's mileage turning the million mile mark. It reads: "This 1956 Cadillac Has Gone - 1,000,000 - One Million Miles." He and Nellie reportedly racked up 250 miles a day on average since purchasing the car used in 1957; at that time, the Special Sixty Cadillac model had 40,000 miles on it. Bender ran passengers between the Dane County Regional Airport and Madison downtown.
1982
Publication Information
Physical Description
Collection Information
Copyright Information
W01442U
WHi 121156
Image
Digital Collections
Explore more than 100,000 collection items online through the Society’s digital collections. For over two decades, we’ve been scanning, photographing, and digitizing materials from our collections, creating a rich and growing digital archive that brings history closer to you.
The Wisconsin Historical Society offers an ever-growing digital collection. Digitized materials reflect the full range of items in the collections including photographs, letters, newsletters, films, posters, architectural drawings, menus, and ephemera.
Attribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Accessing Collections
The vast majority of the items in our collections are not online. The Society owns thousands of archival collections viewable in our Archives reading room. To view and conduct research in our collections, visit us in person.
Bob Bender and his 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood
1977
Three-quarter view from front left of Bob Bender sitting in the driver's seat behind the wheel of his cab named "Nellie," a 9-passenger shiny black 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood. Wearing a chauffeur hat,...
Bender Deluxe Cab Limousine Service Crew and Fleet
1977
Outdoor group portrait of the R.L. Bender Deluxe Cab Limousine Service crew and taxi fleet in front of Dane County Regional Airport. Robert "Bob" Bender (the owner) is standing in the background to...
Bob Bender on South Carroll Street with "Nellie"
1977
View across sidewalk towards Robert "Bob" Bender standing behind the hood of his shiny 9-passenger black 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood, the flagship taxi of the cab company, which he named "Nellie." He i...
Cadillac Taxi and Driver
View from sidewalk of Bob Bender standing near the driver's side door of his dark 1950s model Cadillac taxi on the Capitol Square. He is wearing a leather jacket and a dark service cap. Signs on bo...
Steering Wheel of Bob Bender's Cab
1977
Interior view of the steering wheel, dash, and foot pedals of Bob Bender's deluxe limousine cab named "Nellie," a black 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood. Flat rate fees are written on the dash above the rad...
Bender Airline Limousine Service
1977
Group portrait of the R.L. Bender Deluxe Cab Limousine Service staff at the Dane County Regional Airport. The owner, Robert "Bob" Bender, is standing on the far right with his hand on his hip and c...
