Some
history and technical specifications
Ransom
E. Olds has the distinction of creating two successful automobile
companies in the early days of the industry. His first company,
Oldsmobile, began in 1897 and found great public acceptance with
the attractive and reliable curved-dash Oldsmobiles. But Olds
board of directors wanted to build larger, more powerful cars,
so Olds sold out his share of the company. He then created the
Reo Motor Car Company in Lansing, Michigan, in 1904. Oldsmobile,
meanwhile, became part of the growing General Motors Company and
did go into larger cars, culminating with the gargantuan Oldsmobile
Limiteds of 1911.
The
first Reos appeared in 1905 and followed R. E. Olds small car
philosophy, offering reasonably priced one- and two-cylinder models.
Sales were brisk, but the reality of the Model T Ford with its
four-cylinder powerplant and the trends of the industry forced
Reo to begin building four-cylinder cars in 1910. By 1917 when
this car was built, the firm was offering four- and six-cylinder
models and finally expanded to eight-cylinder cars, before turning
exclusively to truck manufacture in the mid-1930s. By the time
this car was built Reos had earned a reputation for good value,
reliability and durability, competing against the likes of Buick
and a host of other marques in the lower medium-price field. There
were no frills about these cars except perhaps for the slightly
streamlined look to the top of the radiator, which gave Reos of
the time an instant identification. Although rated at 27 horsepower
on a bore and stroke basis developed by the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce (the predecessor to the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Association of today), actual power development was more like
35 bhp. While that may not seem like an impressive figure bear
in mind that in those days torque counted for more than horses,
and Reos had torque in abundance. The car shown here is a seldom-seen
roadster model that appears to be in unrestored condition a real
“barn find which is becoming an increasingly rare occurrence
today. The top and bows disappeared long ago, but otherwise the
car looks sound and complete good enough in fact to drive and
enjoy as-is providing the drivetrain is in good condition. If
a truly old automobile is what you're after cars like this from
the mid to late teens and early 20s represent some of the best
bargains in the hobby. They are not nearly as pricey as the brass-era
cars on one end of the spectrum, and are downright cheap compared
to the Full Classics that came along in the late 1920s. By the
time these cars were built the American automobile had evolved
into a reliable, day-in and day-out means of transportation. For
collectors today, that means you can travel to meets and on tours
with the assurance that the drives will be relatively trouble-free
and that you haven't paid a king's ransom for the privilege as
well.
| Base
price: |
$
875 |
| Base
weight: |
2,660
lbs. |
| Body: |
Steel
over hardwood framing |
| Frame: |
Ladder
type with cross members |
| Wheelbase: |
115
inches |
| Suspension: |
Semi-elliptic
leaf springs, front and rear |
| Brakes: |
External
contracting on rear wheels |
| Engine: |
Four-cylinder
cast in pairs; 27.23 hp by formula; 4 1/8 x 4 ½
bore and stroke; splash lubrication with circulation pump |
| Transmission: |
Selective
sliding three-speed and reverse; floor shift |
References:
www.hemmings.com
