REO Motor Car Company

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File:Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, Volume 1, 1913, Plate 0098.jpg
Reo plant (1913)
File:Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, Volume 1, 1913, Plate 0099.jpg
Reo plant II (1913)
File:Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. LOC sanborn04071 005-23.jpg
Reo Truck plant (1913)

The REO Motor Car Company (REO pronounced Template:IPAc-en, not letter by letter) was a company based in Lansing, Michigan, which produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point, the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.

Ransom E. Olds was an entrepreneur who founded multiple companies in the automobile industry. In 1897 Olds founded Oldsmobile. In 1905 Olds left Oldsmobile and established a new company, REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, Michigan. Olds had 52% of the stock and the titles of president and general manager. To ensure a reliable supply of parts, he organized a number of subsidiary firms, like the National Coil Company, the Michigan Screw Company, and the Atlas Drop Forge Company.

Originally the company was to be called "R. E. Olds Motor Car Company", but the owner of Olds' previous company, then called Olds Motor Works, objected and threatened legal action on the grounds of likely confusion of names by consumers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Olds then changed the name to his initials. Olds Motor Works soon adopted the popular name of its vehicles, Oldsmobile (which, along with Buick and Cadillac, became a founding division of General Motors Corporation).

The company's name was spelled alternately in all capitals REO or with only an initial capital as Reo, and the company's own literature was inconsistent in this regard, with early advertising using all capitals, and later advertising using the "Reo" capitalization.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The pronunciation, however, was as a single word. Lansing is home to the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum.

Early production

File:Olds2.jpg
Ransom E. Olds, founder of REO

By 1907, REO had gross sales of $4.5 million, and the company was one of the four wealthiest automobile manufacturers in the U.S. After 1908, however, despite the introduction of improved cars designed by Olds, REO's share of the automobile market decreased due in part to competition from emerging companies like Ford and General Motors.<ref name=":0">Template:Kimes-USCars3rd</ref>

REO added a truck-manufacturing division and a Canadian plant in St Catharines, Ontario, in 1910. Two years later, Olds claimed that he had built the best car he could, a tourer able to seat two, four, or five, with a Template:Convert engine, Template:Convert wheelbase, and Template:Convert wheels, for $1,055 (not including top, windshield, or gas tank, which were US$100 extra); self-starter was $25 on top of that.<ref name="clymer">Template:Cite book</ref>

File:1906reorunabout.jpg
1906 REO Model B Runabout exhibited in 2005

In 1915, Olds relinquished the title of general manager to his protégé Richard H. Scott, and eight years later he ended his tenure as the company's presidency as well, retaining the position of chairman of the board.<ref name=":0" />

Perhaps the most famous REO episode was the 1912 Trans-Canada journey. Traveling Template:Convert from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, in a 1912 REO special touring car, mechanic/driver Fonce V. (Jack) Haney and journalist Thomas W. Wilby made the first trip by automobile across Canada (including one short jaunt into northeastern Washington State when the Canadian roads were virtually impassable).<ref name=":0" />

From 1915 to 1925, under Scott's direction, REO remained profitable. In 1923, the company sold an early recreational vehicle, called the "Motor Pullman Car". Designed by Battle Creek, Michigan, newspaper editor J. H. Brown, the automobile included a drop-down sleeping extension, a built-in gas cooking range, and a refrigerator.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During 1925, however, Scott, like many of his contemporaries/competitors, began an ambitious expansion program designed to make the company more competitive with other automobile manufacturers by offering cars in different price ranges. The failure of this program and the effects of the Great Depression caused such losses that Olds ended his retirement during 1933 and assumed control of REO again, but resigned in 1934. During 1936, REO abandoned the manufacture of automobiles to concentrate on trucks.<ref name=":0" /> In 1935, REO sold 5101 units and in 1936 it was 4227 trucks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1938, REO sold 2929 units and in 1939 it was 853 trucks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Number of Motor Vehicles produced by REO

  • 1905 - 12-15 Vehicles per day <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 1909 - 5728 Vehicles
  • 1910 - 6588 Vehicles
  • 1911 - 5728 Vehicles
  • 1912 - 6342 Vehicles
  • 1913 - 7647 Vehicles
  • 1914 - 12745 Vehicles
  • 1915 - 22247 Vehicles
  • 1916 - 27811 Vehicles
  • 1917 - 30246 Vehicles
  • 1918 - 20158 Vehicles
  • 1919 - 16483 Vehicles
  • 1920 - 32800 Vehicles
  • 1921 - 22342 Vehicles
  • 1922 - 23152 Vehicles
  • 1923 - 31880 Vehicles
  • 1924 - 28681 Vehicles
  • 1925 - 32650 Vehicles
  • 1926 - 34542 Vehicles <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reo Flying Cloud and Reo Royale

File:1931-ReoRoyaleVictoriaEight.jpg
1931 REO Reo Royale Victoria Eight

REO's two most memorable cars were its Reo Flying Cloud introduced in 1927<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Reo Royale 8 of 1931.

The Flying Cloud was the first car to use Lockheed's new hydraulic internal expanding brake system and featured styling by Fabio Segardi. While Ned Jordan is credited with changing the way advertising was written with his "Somewhere West of Laramie" ads for his Jordan Playboy, Reo's Flying Cloud—a name that provoked evocative images of speed and lightness—changed the way automobiles would be named in the future. It had a Template:Convert wheelbase.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The final REO model of 1936 was a Flying Cloud.<ref name=":0" />

In April 1927, Reo introduced the Wolverine brand of cars as a companion model to the Flying Cloud. With a Continental engine, artillery wheels, and a different pattern of horizontal radiator louvers from the Flying Cloud, the Wolverine was made until 1928.<ref name="EAAp210">Template:Cite book</ref>

The 1931 Reo Royale was a trendsetting design, introducing design elements that were a precedent for true automotive streamlining in the American market. The 8-cylinder model was sold through 1933 with minor updates. The name was used on a lower-priced 6-cylinder model through 1935. Beverly Rae Kimes, editor of the Standard Catalog of American Cars, terms the Royale "the most fabulous Reo of all". In addition to its coachwork by Murray designed by their Amos Northup, the Royale also provided buyers with a Template:Convert straight-eight with a nine-bearing crankshaft, one-shot lubrication, and thermostatically-controlled radiator shutters. The Royale rode upon factory wheelbases of Template:Convert (Model 8-31) and Template:Convert (Model 8-35); a 1932 custom version rode upon a Template:Convert wheelbase (Model 8-52). As many as 3 Dietrich coachbuilt bodies were built on Template:Convert wheelbases in 1931. Beginning in 1933, the Royale also featured as an option REO's semi-automatic transmission, the Self-Shifter. This unit was unreliable, and Consumers Union Reports advised readers to avoid it.<ref>https://archive.org/details/sim_consumer-reports_1936-07_1_3/page/16/mode/1up Consumers Union Reports, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 1936, p. 17. </ref> The Model 8-31 was priced at $2,145. The model 8-35 was priced from $2,745 for the sedan to $3,000 for the convertible coupe. The coachbuilt cars were priced close to $6,000. A convertible Victoria was listed at $3,195 but only one is known to have been built. The 8-35 & 8-52 are considered full CCCA classics.<ref name=":0" />

After passenger cars

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File:Reo factory 1977.jpg
The REO factory in 1977

Although truck orders during World War II enabled it to revive somewhat, the company remained unstable in the postwar era, resulting in a bankruptcy reorganization. In 1954, the company was still underperforming, and sold its vehicle manufacturing operations (the primary asset of the company) to the Bohn Aluminum and Brass Corporation of Detroit. Three years later, in 1957, Reo's vehicle manufacturing operation became a subsidiary of White Motor Corporation<ref>White Acquires Reo Company Truck & Bus Transportation August 1957 page 85</ref> White then merged REO with Diamond T Trucks in 1967 to form Diamond Reo Trucks. Volvo later took over White and thus currently owns the rights to the REO brand name.

Meanwhile, after selling Reo's vehicle manufacturing operation to Bohn in 1954, management began liquidating the remainder of the company. For tax reasons a group of shareholders successfully challenged the liquidation in a proxy fight in September 1955, and forced REO to take over a tiny nuclear services company called Nuclear Consultants, Inc. in a reverse takeover. The resulting Nuclear Corporation of America, Inc., diversified and purchased other companies to become a conglomerate, spreading into an array of fields including prefabricated housing and steel joist manufacturing in addition to nuclear services. Most of these businesses failed and the company was bankrupt again by 1966. After reorganizing, only the successful steel-joist business remained; the company started producing recycled steel and eventually renamed itself Nucor.

Studebaker agreement

File:Military Vehicles (2621947332).jpg
A REO US6 truck

Most Studebaker US6 trucks were built by Studebaker. However, during the Second World War, REO produced a number of them under license from Studebaker. The REO versions of the truck had some changes, such as different door handles and a more powerful engine. It is estimated that REO produced around 20,000 of these trucks and, unlike the original Studebaker trucks which were also used by the United States, the REO versions were only for export to the Soviet Union.

Products

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File:R.E. Olds at Wheel of a REO Model A.jpg
R.E. Olds at Wheel of a REO Model A
File:Reo Model A (16-20HP) 1905.jpg
Reo Type A (16/20HP) 1905
File:Reo Model B (1905-1908).jpg
Reo Model B (1905-1908) 8 HP
File:Reo Model D (1909-1910).jpg
Reo Model D (1909-1910)
File:Reo Type R (1910-1911).jpg
Reo Type R (1910-1911)
File:Reo Type K (1911).jpg
Reo Type K (1911)
File:Reo Model G Sedan (1920-1926).jpg
Reo Model G Sedan (1920-1926)
File:Reo Model G Coupé (1920-1926).jpg
Reo Model G Coupé (1920-1926)
File:Reo Model H (1908-1915).jpg
Reo Model H (1908-1915)
File:Reo Model J (1911-1919).jpg
Reo Model J (1911-1919)
File:Reo Model J 2t (1911-1919).jpg
Reo Model J 2t (1911-1919)
File:Reo Model F 1,25t (1921-1926).jpg
Reo Model F 1,25t (1921-1926)
File:Reo Speed Wagon (1915-1953).jpg
Reo Speed Wagon (1915-1953)
File:Reo Model G (1925-1927).jpg
Reo Model G (1925-1927)
File:Reo Junior BA (1928-1931).jpg
Reo Junior BA (1928-1931)
File:Reo DA (1928-1930).jpg
Reo DA (1928-1930)
File:Reo FA (1928-1929).jpg
Reo FA (1928-1929)
File:Reo GA (1928).jpg
Reo GA (1928)
File:Greek Army Vehicle 6.JPG
An M-35 2½-ton truck that served with the Greek Army

Cars

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Trucks

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  • H (1908-1915) 0,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
    • 1 Cylinder; 1742 cc
      • 1914 Produktion < 200 Vehicles; Serial Number 2101 to 2300
      • 1915 Production < 200 Vehicles; Serial Number 2301 to 2500
  • J (1911-1919) 2t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
    • 4 Cylinder, 3942 cc
      • 1914 Production < 1154 Vehicles; Serial Number 3351 to 4504
      • 1915 Production < 846 Vehicles ; Serial Number 4505 to 5350
  • F (1915-1920) 0,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
    • 4 Cylinder, 3942 cc
      • 1915 Production < 1000 Vehicles; Serial Number 10000 to 11000
      • 1916 Production < 1789 Vehicles; Serial Number 11001 to 12789
      • 1917 Production < 5210 Vehicles; Serial Number 12790 to 17999
      • 1918 Production < 3730 Vehicles; Serial Number 18001 to 21730
      • 1919 Production < 8170 Vehicles; Serial Number 21731 to 29900
      • 1920 Production < 10997 Vehicles; Serial Number 29901 to 40897
  • F (1921-1926) 1,25 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
    • 4 Cylinder, 3942 cc
      • 1921 Production < 16651 Vehicles; Serial Number 45350 to 62000 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
      • 1922 Production < 13600 Vehicles; Serial Number 62001 to 75600
      • 1923 Production < 17699 Vehicles; Serial Number 75601 to 93299
      • 1924 Production < 14502 Vehicles; Serial Number 93299 to 107800
  • V (1922-1924) 0,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
    • 4 Cylinder, 3942 cc
      • 1922 Production < 225 Vehicles; Serial Number 1 to 225
      • 1923 Production < 625 Vehicles; Serial Number 225 to 849
      • 1924 Production < 1309 Vehicles; Serial Number 849 to 2157
  • F 150 HD (1925) 1,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • F 128 HD (1925) 1,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • V6 (1925-1926) 0,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • V4 (1925-1926) 0,75 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • G (1925-1927) 2 t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 19 AS
  • AC
  • Apollo
  • Reo Junior BA
  • Comet
  • DA
  • DC
  • FA
  • GA (1927-1928) 3 t<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • GB (1927) 3t <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Giant
  • Gold Comet
  • M35
  • Raider
  • Royale
  • Speed Wagon
  • Speed Delivery
  • Speed Tanker

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Buses

File:REO Omnibus Typ A 22 passengers (1928).jpg
REO Omnibus Typ A; 22 passengers (1928)
  • W 2 (1924)
  • REO Omnibus 12 passengers Sedan (1928) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • REO Omnibus 12 passengers Post (1928)
  • REO Omnibus 18 passengers (1928)
  • REO Omnibus 20 passengers Sedan (1928)
  • REO Omnibus Typ A 22 passengers (1928)
  • REO Omnibus Typ B 22 passengers (1928) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • REO Omnibus 28 passengers City (1928)
  • REO Omnibus 32 passengers Post (1934) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 96HTD
  • W series
  • Gold Comet

Clients

File:REO Speedwagon at Red Rocks July 2010 (cropped).jpg
American band REO Speedwagon took their name from the homonymous vehicle.
  • The band REO Speedwagon took their name from the REO Speed Wagon light delivery truck, an ancestor of pickup trucks.
  • The band Diamond Rio took their name from REO's successor company Diamond Reo Trucks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band misspelled "Reo" as "Rio", but lead singer Marty Roe decided to make a virtue out of his mistake, saying "I like it like that. It has a country-Southwestern flavor".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • A REO is mentioned in a humorous 1933 short story The Car We Had to Push by James Thurber. It tells the story of Thurber’s family car, which would only start if pushed a long way. After several odd adventures, the car is destroyed by a trolley car.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
  • The Barnum & Bailey Circus exhibited sideshow performers, Tiny Tim and Tom Thumb, driving a scaled-down version of the 1906 Reo Model-A Light Touring Car known as the "Baby Reo".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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See also

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Notes

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Template:Trucking industry in the United States Template:Authority control

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