REO Motor Car Company

The REO Motor Car Company was an American 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.

Early production

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. 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 engine, wheelbase, and wheels, for $1,055 (not including top, windshield, or gas tank, which were US$100 extra); self-starter was $25 on top of that. 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. 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. In 1938, REO sold 2929 units and in 1939 it was 853 trucks. Number of Motor Vehicles produced by REO • 1905 - 12-15 Vehicles per day • • 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 == Reo Flying Cloud and Reo Royale ==

Reo Flying Cloud and Reo Royale

REO's two most memorable cars were its Reo Flying Cloud introduced in 1927 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 wheelbase. The final REO model of 1936 was a Flying Cloud. 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 straight-eight with a nine-bearing crankshaft, one-shot lubrication, and thermostatically-controlled radiator shutters. The Royale rode upon factory wheelbases of (Model 8-31) and (Model 8-35); a 1932 custom version rode upon a wheelbase (Model 8-52). As many as 3 Dietrich coachbuilt bodies were built on 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. 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. File:Reo Runabout 1906.jpg|REO runabout 1906 File:1917 REO Model M 7-passenger Touring.JPG|1917 Model M Touring File:Reo Touring 1919.jpg|1919 REO Touring File:Reo Fire Truck.jpg|REO Fire Truck File:Reo Bus 1934.jpg|1934 REO Bus File:Reo Speed Wagon Truck 1939.jpg|1939 REO Speed Wagon Truck File:REO-bus-AngvikAuto-2-hh.JPG|REO bus in Norway File:Cottage Grove Dump Truck (Lane County, Oregon scenic images) (lanDB2094).jpg|Cottage Grove Dump Truck, Lane County, Oregon File:REO Speedwagon Badge.jpg|Badge from a REO Speed Wagon Fire Truck File:ReoSpeedWagon1917-cropped-thumb.jpg|An REO Speed Wagon, from a 1917 advertisement File:REO Speedwagon Fire Truck.jpg|REO Speed Wagon Fire Truck at Jack Daniel's Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee File:1935 Reo Flying Cloud 4.7 litre IMG 2610 - Flickr - nemor2.jpg|Reo Flying Cloud 4.7-litre File:1931ReoRoyaleVictoriaEight-interior.jpg|1931 Reo Royale Victoria Eight File:Reo-emblem.jpg|Car emblem for a Reo Flying Cloud (1930 model) File:A "RIO" TRUCK FILLED WITH CITRUS FRUIT DURING THE HARVEST SEASON IN A KFAR SABA GROVE. משאית "ריו" עמוסה בפרי הדר לאחר הקטיף, באחד מפרדסי המושבה כפר סD574-092.jpg|REO truck filled with citrus fruit, Kfar Saba, Mandatory Palestine, 1932 == After passenger cars ==

After passenger cars

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 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 ==

Studebaker agreement

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 ==

Products

Cars • Type A (1905-1908) • Type B (1905-1908) • Type C (1909-1910) • Type D (1909-1910) • Type G (1909-1910) • Type R (1910-1911) Thirty • Type S (1910-1911) • Type K (1911) • 19 AS • 96-T • Comet • DC • Flying Cloud • Flying Cloud Mate • GB • Gold Comet • M-109 • M-34 • M-35 • M-35 A1 • M-48 • M-49 • M-50 • M-52 • M-Series • M-246 • R-5 "Reo the Fifth" (1912) • Royale • Royale Elite • Runabout • T-6 (1920-1926) Trucks • H (1908-1915) 0,75 t • 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 • 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 • 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 • 4 Cylinder, 3942 cc • 1921 Production < 16651 Vehicles; Serial Number 45350 to 62000 • 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 • 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 • F 128 HD (1925) 1,75 t • V6 (1925-1926) 0,75 t • V4 (1925-1926) 0,75 t • G (1925-1927) 2 t • 19 AS • AC • Apollo • Reo Junior BA • Comet • DA • DC • FA • GA (1927-1928) 3 t • GB (1927) 3t • Giant • Gold Comet • M35 • Raider • Royale • Speed Wagon • Speed Delivery • Speed Tanker Buses • W 2 (1924) • REO Omnibus 12 passengers Sedan (1928) • 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) • REO Omnibus 28 passengers City (1928) • REO Omnibus 32 passengers Post (1934) • 96HTD • W series • Gold Comet ==Clients==

Clients

• Toronto Transportation Commission • Israel Defense Forces == In popular culture ==

In popular culture

The 1971 movie Big Jake featured REO motor cars. • 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. 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". • 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. • 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". ==Advertisements==