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33-550: 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,

66-579: A boy. He eventually settled in Lansing, Michigan , where he attended high-school before dropping out so that he could work full-time at the family company, P.F. Olds & Son. The company built and sold some steam engines but made most of its money doing repair work. While in Lansing he also married Metta Ursula Woodward on June 5, 1889. He founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan , on August 21, 1897. The company

99-471: A continuously moving synchronous assembly line to manufacture his Model T starting in 1913. The new assembly approach enabled Olds to more than quintuple his factory's output, from 425 cars in 1901 to 2,500 in 1902. In 1916, Olds purchased 37,547 acres (152 km ) of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay in Florida and developed the area into what is now the city of Oldsmar . He traded his land for

132-493: 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. The pronunciation, however, was as a single word. Lansing is home to the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum . By 1907, REO had gross sales of $ 4.5 million, and

165-868: 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 . Ransom E. 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-powered car in 1896. The modern assembly line and its basic concept

198-478: A subsidiary of the White Motor Company . White then merged REO with Diamond T Trucks in 1967 to form Diamond Reo Trucks . In 1975, this company filed for bankruptcy and most of its assets were liquidated. 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

231-417: A thousand cars. Then the public would drop its jaw and take notice." The deal was signed, and though the dealer ended up selling only 750 to the public, it was the original number that everyone remembered. The Curved Dash Oldsmobile sold for $ 650, equal to $ 23,806 today. About 600 were sold in 1901, about 3,000 in 1902 and at least 4,000 in 1904. It was this car, rather than Henry Ford 's Model T , that

264-547: A word. The Olds Motor Works was bought by General Motors in 1908. General Motors discontinued the Oldsmobile brand in 2004, after 107 years in business. In 1946, Ransom Olds started building lawnmowers as the Lawn Mower Division of REO motors. Olds was the first person to use a progressive moving assembly line in the automotive industry. Henry Ford came after him, and improved upon this by developing

297-579: Is credited to Olds, who used it to build the first mass-produced automobile, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash , beginning in 1901. Olds was born in Geneva, Ohio , the youngest son of blacksmith and pattern-maker Pliny Fiske Olds and his wife, Sarah Whipple Olds. He was of English descent, with origins in Dorset, England . His parents moved the family to Cleveland, Ohio , when Olds was still

330-575: Is known to have been built. The 8-35 & 8-52 are considered full CCCA classics . 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

363-835: The Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida in 1926. In 1906, Olds organized the Capital National Bank, later called Lansing National Bank, and Michigan National Bank . Olds was also involved in the organization of the Michigan Screw Company and Atlas Drop Forge Company, all in Lansing, Michigan. Olds was the primary financier of the Olds Tower. When completed in 1931 it was the tallest office building in Lansing and retains that distinction today. Located at 124 West Allegan Street,

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396-573: The Canadian roads were virtually impassable). 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. During 1925, however, Scott, like many of his contemporaries/competitors, began an ambitious expansion program designed to make

429-549: 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. 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

462-612: The Olds Motor Works. The name REO came from the initials of his name, but was intended to be an acronym , and thus pronounced as a word. Sometimes it was spelled as "Reo" to emphasize this pronunciation. Olds served as president (until 1925) and later chairman of REO. The band REO Speedwagon took its name from the REO Speed Wagon light delivery truck, an ancestor of pickup trucks , though the band pronounces each letter in REO individually rather than pronouncing REO as

495-458: 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

528-527: 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

561-516: The Royale also provided buyers with a 125 hp (93 kW) straight-eight with a nine-bearing crankshaft, one-shot lubrication, and thermostatically-controlled radiator shutters. The Royale rode upon factory wheelbases of 131 inches (3,300 mm) (Model 8-31) and 135 inches (3,400 mm) (Model 8-35); a 1932 custom version rode upon a 152-inch (3,900 mm) wheelbase (Model 8-52). As many as 3 Dietrich coachbuilt bodies were built on 148-inch (3,800 mm) wheelbases in 1931. Beginning in 1933,

594-445: The best car he could, a tourer able to seat two, four, or five, with a 30–35 hp (22–26 kW) engine, 112 inches (2,845 mm) wheelbase , and 32 inches (81 cm) 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

627-763: The building is now called the Boji Tower . Olds was also involved in the Hotel Olds at 111 South Capitol Avenue in Lansing. Today this is known as the George W. Romney Building , where the office of the governor of Michigan is located. Olds was also famous for his auto racing on the beaches of Florida at Ormond and Daytona . He had the first timed run on the beach in a solo run sometime between 1894 and 1897. In 1896 or 1897, rich automobile pioneers Olds and Alexander Winton ( Winton Motor Carriage Company ) staged an unofficial event; Winton beat Olds by 0.20 second. Olds

660-527: 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. REO's two most memorable cars were its Reo Flying Cloud introduced in 1927 and

693-503: 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 . 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

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726-504: 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

759-479: The company's presidency as well, retaining the position of chairman of the board. Perhaps the most famous REO episode was the 1912 Trans-Canada journey. Traveling 4,176 miles (6,720 km) 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

792-560: The next morning without driving in reverse. The mansion was demolished in 1966 to make way for Interstate 496 , which was then named for Olds himself. The architectural drawings of that house are in the archives of the State of Michigan. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1946. In 1992, the family's mausoleum was vandalized and remains were taken. Wolverine (automobile company) The Wolverine car

825-607: 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

858-417: The veracity of this story. He points to an Olds advertising blitz that had already led to more than 300 Curved Dash orders even before the fire took place. "Olds did not need the one rescued car from which to reconstruct the plans and patterns for the runabout." Later that year, Olds had his company's test driver, Roy Chapin , drive a Curved Dash runabout to the second annual New York Automobile Show . Along

891-605: The way automobiles would be named in the future. It had a 115-inch (2,900 mm) wheelbase. The final REO model of 1936 was a Flying Cloud. 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. The 1931 Reo Royale

924-585: The way, Chapin opted to drive up onto the Erie Canal tow path to escape the mire of New York state roads. After eight days of driving, he reached the Waldorf Astoria hotel but was turned away at the door. His mud-spattered attire was so disreputable that he was sent to the servants' entrance in back. During the auto show Olds pushed hard to make sales. When one dealer offered to purchase 500, Olds retorted, "I would like to see you make this order for

957-420: Was a Republican and served as a delegate from Michigan's 6th District to the 1908 Republican National Convention , which nominated William Howard Taft for president. In the early 1900s, Olds built an elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion on South Washington Avenue in Lansing. Among the home's many technological innovations was a turntable in the garage which allowed Olds to pull in at night and leave again

990-583: 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 ,

1023-415: Was bought by a copper and lumber magnate named Samuel L. Smith in 1899 and renamed Olds Motor Works. The new company was relocated from Lansing to Detroit. Smith became president while Olds became vice president and general manager. By 1901 Olds had built 11 prototype vehicles, including at least one of each power mode: steam, electricity and gasoline. In 1934, he received a patent for a diesel engine. He

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1056-413: Was the first mass-produced, low-priced American motor vehicle. As Smith's son, Frederic L. Smith , came into the business, he and Olds clashed frequently until Fred Smith removed Olds from the position of vice president and general manager in 1904, and Olds left his company. He went on to form the R.E. Olds Motor Car Company. Its name was quickly changed to REO Motor Car Company to avoid a lawsuit from

1089-473: Was the only American automotive pioneer to produce and sell at least one of each mode of automobile. On March 9, 1901, the Olds Motor Works factory burned to the ground. Only one model, the little Curved Dash runabout , was saved from the flames. Ransom Olds claimed it was the fire that made him select the runabout, from among his many other models, to put into production. His biographer questions

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