REO Speedwagon pickup

[ChgrSteve67]

This showed up at a car show I went to today. Even though its not a MOPAR I thought some of you might find this interesting.

REO are the initials of Ransom Eli Olds, for whom the Oldsmobile automobile is named. In 1897, as a poineering automobile designer, he teamed with Samuel Smith to form the Olds Motor Vehicle Co., which later became Oldsmobile. olds left in 1904 to start his own company, but Oldsmobile retained the rights to "Olds" name, so he went with "REO". The first REO cars shipped in 1905.By 1937 REO was only a truck line which was then purchased by the White Truck Company in 19557. WHite continued producing a Diamond-REO truck line until 1974. This is one of six 1934-36 ROE Speedwagon 1\2 ton pickups known to have survived and is the only 1935. REO also made another 1\2 ton body style pickup from 1937-39. Mack Truck Company bought REO Speedwagon pickup and truck bodies, renamed them as Mack Jr's and sold them through their dealerships from 1934-39.

[ChgrSteve67]

Few More Pics

[bull]

You take it on the run baby.

[68X426]

Great pictures and reporting. Thanks for sharing the story on a forgotten company and awesome vehicle.

For the younger guys out there, yes, the band from the 70's took their name from this legendary truck.

[Todd Wilson]

Back in 2000 a few of us Charger guys went on a cruise. Stopped my the McPherson College show for a while and then headed to Lindsbourg Kansas. A rich old guy had a REO Museum. He has since passed away and all the vehicles are gone and the place is closed. It was a very neat place to go to. We got there early before they opened and one of the workers seen us out front. Checked out our Chargers and then let us in. Gave us a private tour of the place. even started some of them up for us. Most of the vehicles were REO but theres a few others in there that the owner liked or had as vehicles in the old days

Link
http://www.chargerfever.com/redcoach/redcoach.html

[Charger_Fan]

This showed up at a car show I went to today. Even though its not a MOPAR I thought some of you might find this interesting.

REO are the initials of Ransom Eli Olds, for whom the Oldsmobile automobile is named. In 1897, as a poineering automobile designer, he teamed with Samuel Smith to form the Olds Motor Vehicle Co., which later became Oldsmobile. olds left in 1904 to start his own company, but Oldsmobile retained the rights to "Olds" name, so he went with "REO". The first REO cars shipped in 1905.By 1937 REO was only a truck line which was then purchased by the White Truck Company in 19557. WHite continued producing a Diamond-REO truck line until 1974. This is one of six 1934-36 ROE Speedwagon 1\2 ton pickups known to have survived and is the only 1935. REO also made another 1\2 ton body style pickup from 1937-39. Mack Truck Company bought REO Speedwagon pickup and truck bodies, renamed them as Mack Jr's and sold them through their dealerships from 1934-39.

Thanks for the info & the pics (you too, Todd). I had forgotten that's how the REO name began. I've also forgotten how the "Speed Wagon" name came to be...were they faster than other trucks, or was it that they just wanted them to be?

Geez, could you just imagine what those trucks would look like today, if the government had just bailed them out when they were in trouble back then?  

[Todd Wilson]

I'm not 100% sure but I think the Speed Wagon came about due to their fire trucks. It just kinda stayed with all their trucks. The 1 ton trucks I have seen are very heavy Duty. Only other trucks I have seen that were even close as far has being heavy built were Dodge and Federal and some Diamond T's.


Todd