Popular Culture, Taxi Businesses, and Their Iconic Yellow Color

• Friday, october 30, 2026
• Documentation

Today, the colors used by vehicles in taxi businesses usually vary according to each brand’s visual identity. However, many of the classic yellow taxis made famous by New York are still around. The color has become so representative that even taxi emojis are typically shown as yellow cars. If you’re curious about why this particular color was chosen, keep reading.

Who Chose Yellow?

At first, most taxis were black, but that began to change thanks to research commissioned by John Hertz. His study concluded that yellow was much easier to see and therefore easier to recognize from a distance. 

In New York, yellow taxis became even more popular through movies and television, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable symbols of a taxi. This influence can even be seen in toys. For example, LEGO® taxi models are often designed in yellow.

A Little History 

The earliest automobiles, and consequently many of the first taxis, were black. That tradition carried over from their predecessors, the cabriolets, which were horse-drawn carriages. The word cabriolet is still used today to describe convertible cars and is also connected to the origin of the word “cab,” another English term for taxi. 

As automobiles became more common and most vehicles were black, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish private cars from taxis. Following Hertz’s research, taxi businesses began painting their vehicles in more noticeable colors. Yellow became so important to John Hertz that he renamed his company the Yellow Cab Company. 

Where Can You Find Yellow Taxis?

As mentioned earlier, the most famous yellow taxis are those found in New York City. However, taxis in many other U.S. cities are also yellow or feature yellow as a major part of their design. It is worth noting that there is no single nationwide rule in the United States requiring taxis to be yellow. In Canada, alongside other distinctive taxi colors such as orange, there are also yellow fleets, including Vancouver’s Yellow Cab. 

In Bulgaria, particularly in the capital Sofia, taxis are also yellow and have an appearance strongly associated with the New York style. That influence can also be seen in Budapest, Hungary. Other countries and cities, including Bangladesh and Taiwan, have also adopted the iconic yellow color to distinguish taxis. However, not every country has followed this visual tradition, as we’ll see below.

Barcelona and Its Own History

Many people still believe that the yellow used on taxis in Barcelona, Spain, was inspired by New York. In reality, however, its history goes back further. Fare classifications from the early 20th century helped establish the city’s distinctive taxi colors. Today, regulations in Spain also determine the colors that taxi businesses must use on their vehicles in different regions.

Yellow Taxis in Pop Culture

Just as yellow taxis have become closely associated with New York and the United States, they have also played memorable roles on screen. That is why we wanted to highlight some of the most famous taxis in popular culture. 

Phoebe Buffay’s Taxi in Friends

Fans of Friends will probably remember the yellow taxi that Phoebe Buffay inherited from her grandmother. The car appeared in several episodes, including the failed ski trip episode, the Las Vegas storyline, and the series finale, when Phoebe drives Ross to find Rachel. The vehicle was a classic Checker Marathon, a model widely associated with taxi service in the United States and featured in many other films and television series.

Taxi Driver with Travis Bickle Behind the Wheel

This famous taxi appeared in one of Robert De Niro’s most iconic performances. Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese, tells the story of a war veteran who takes a job driving a yellow taxi at night. 

From behind the wheel of his taxi, Travis Bickle encounters the city’s nighttime underworld and becomes increasingly drawn into conflict. The film used a Checker model similar to the one seen in Friends, painted in its iconic yellow and decorated with the classic black-and-white checker pattern in parts of the bodywork.

The Futuristic Taxi in The Fifth Element 

The film starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Gary Oldman combines science fiction, action, and comedy. Bruce Willis once again finds himself tasked with saving the world. His character, Korben Dallas, is a yellow taxi driver who unexpectedly picks up a passenger who turns out to be central to the story. 

For this film, the taxi was designed with a retro-futuristic style and was even capable of flying through the city. With transportation technology continuing to evolve, ideas that once seemed purely fictional no longer feel quite as distant. Perhaps one day we will see iconic yellow taxis moving through the skies while helping passengers reach their destinations on time.

Culture and Color

John Hertz probably never imagined the cultural impact that his research and the color yellow would eventually have. Like this story, many things we now consider ordinary have surprisingly interesting origins. We hope you enjoyed discovering this different side of taxi businesses and their visual identity. Who knows? Maybe the innovation your business introduces today could become an icon in the future.