1929 REO Speedwagon gasoline tanker at Iowa 80

The REO Speed Wagon (alternatively Reo Speedwagon) was a light motor truck model manufactured by

REO Motor Car Company The REO Motor Car Company 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 founde ...

. It is an ancestor of the pickup truck. First introduced in 1915, production continued through at least 1953, and made REO (the initials of its founder,

Ransom Eli Olds Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, after whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named. He claimed to have built his first steam car as early as 1887 and his first gasoline-power ...

) one of the better-known manufacturers of commercial vehicles in America prior to World War II. Although the basic design and styling of the chassis remained consistent, the Speed Wagon was manufactured in a variety of configurations (pickup and panel truck, passenger bus) to serve as delivery, tow, dump, and fire trucks, as well as hearses and ambulances. Other manufacturers provided refits for adapting the Speed Wagon for specialized purposes. The Speed Wagon used REO's "Gold Crown" series of engines, and was well regarded for power, durability, and quality. While REO produced some wagons based on its automobile chassis (the Model H) starting in 1908 and had organized a division to produce trucks in 1910 with success, the Speed Wagon's introduction in 1915 was a significant step and a sales success. The company was soon offering a variety of Speed Wagon models with many options, and by 1925 had produced 125,000. After years of roughly equal car and truck emphasis, REO shifted its focus completely to trucks, ending automobile production in 1936. Production for the civilian market was suspended during World War II, resuming in 1946. In 1967,

Diamond T The Diamond T Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer. They produced commercial and military trucks. History The Diamond T Motor Car Company was founded in Chicago in 1905 by C. A. Tilt. Reportedly, the company name was creat ...

and Reo Trucks were combined to form the

Diamond Reo Trucks Diamond Reo Trucks was an American truck manufacturer. In 1967, Diamond T and Reo Trucks were combined to form the Diamond Reo Trucks Division of the White Motor Corporation. Reo dated back to 1904 when Ransom E. Olds, founder of Oldsmobil ...

Division of the

White Motor Corporation The White Motor Company was an American automobile, truck, bus and agricultural tractor manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic lathes, and sewing machines. Before World War II, the compa ...

. The

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

quintet

REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The ...

took its name from this vehicle, which was, in turn, later adapted into a main character in ''

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly ''seinen'' manga ...

''.

Models

* 1915 model featured 1-ton weight, four-cylinder engine, three speed transmission and aimed to be faster than the average speed of contemporary trucks. * 1917 model featured 3.25-ton weight and canvas top and sides and cost $1125. * 1925 model featured six-cylinder engine * 1929 model featured REO's "Gold Crown" , , six-cylinder engine. * 1933 Model BN featured REO's six-cylinder "Gold Crown" engine and combination of parts from the company's Flying Cloud and Royale luxury cars. It is a rare, relatively fast panel delivery truck with wooden body.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Reo Speed Wagon Camper on display at Woodland Auto Display, Paso Robles, CA

montage of light delivery trucks including early model Reo Speed Wagon

1924 Speed Wagon print advertisement

1925 Speed Wagon print advertisement

1928 Reo Speed Wagon print advertisement from Finland
emphasizing the advantages of truck engines used in the Speed Wagon over engines from passenger cars.
1936 REO Speedwagon print advertisement

Iowa 80 Trucking Museum
Pickup trucks Vehicles built in Lansing, Michigan