The REO Speed Wagon: Ransom E. Olds's Flatbed Truck

 Before the automobile was an American way of life, automotive daydreamers attempted to create a market with models that they thought would inspire drivers to take to the streets. The REO Speed ​​Wagon Truck is a rare beast in the auto industry. Manufactured by the REO Motor Car Company, this massive truck was given the initials of the company's founder, Ransom Eli Olds, reflecting the confidence of the truck's makers. The Speed ​​Wagon is still considered one of the most versatile and reliable automobiles to grace the market, and while its design was the catalyst for the pickup truck, many drivers are unaware of its existence outside of classic rock radios.

The Speed ​​Wagon was introduced as a faster version of the trucks at the time.

Before the REO speed wagon hit the road, the trucks of the early 20th century weren't operating with the kind of horsepower that horses could dominate. The REO Motor Car Company knew that Americans needed something powerful to make up for the kind of manual labor they were doing because of the complexities of life. The first REO Speed ​​wagon was introduced in 1915 with a four-cylinder engine and three-speed transmission, which drove much faster than the trucks of the day, which only hit 10–15 mph. could. Speed ​​wagons were massive and meant to carry large quantities of food, be it fodder, fruits and vegetables, or whatever else was needed to move a person at the time.

Speed ​​wagons were a major innovation for people in every industry. Not only did they speed up transport times, they were able to hold more product, thus requiring less back-and-forth travel for those moving more than one item. It's strange to think of a truck as being revolutionary, but with this vehicle REO changed lives.

 Speed ​​Wagon was easy to modify

Today, one can simply walk the car lots and buy a fully customized truck that perfectly fulfills their desires. For its time, however, the REO Speed ​​Wagon was unusually customizable. The REO Motor Car Company initially created a basic design and chassis that allowed the truck to be modified endlessly. Whether one needs to bring, deliver or dump something, their Speed ​​Wagons can be built for any occasion. Speed ​​wagons were so powerful and reliable that they were also used as fire trucks in many areas.

Speed ​​wagons could be refitted for any number of special purposes, and the REO Motor Car Company knew that was part of their appeal. He advertised the ease with which wagons could be customized and began manufacturing wagons with larger engines, heavier flywheels and larger water pumps. If you need to do something, Speed ​​Wagon can do it.

Durability was the middle name of the Speed ​​Wagon

Speed ​​wagons were certainly built to last, but there was a larger, heavy duty version of the truck that was released as a part of the "Gold Crown" series of engines. Released in 1937, the Speed ​​Tanker was manufactured at a plant in Lansing, but was used as far away as Australia. It is not clear whether each speed tanker had the same capacity, but the version used by the Plum Oil Company in Australia had a capacity to hold 1,075 imperial gallons and was run on tires fitted to a school bus. In addition to carrying only oil, these vehicles were also built with compartments to hold deliverables and hoses in case of emergency. Like the Speed ​​Wagon, the Speed ​​Tanker was customizable, and according to an Australian newspaper of the time, they were streamlined to reduce air resistance before commercial use.

It's strange to think that something as simple as a truck could revolutionize people's day-to-day business, but thanks to the durability of speed wagons, people were spending less time and money repairing carts or small automobiles. was spending more time. producer. If they had been using horses before owning a speed wagon, the vehicle took the stress off the animals, completely changing the way people did business.

The Speed ​​Wagon Was a Catalyst for Innovation

Speed ​​wagons were not just for hauling and hauling. As an endlessly modified vehicle, it made a lot of sense. Not only did this inspire other automobile companies to create smaller and more durable pickup trucks, but this massive truck also featured the first electric starters and shaft-driven axles on a vehicle. The REO Motor Car Company continued to innovate on their own designs as they found ways to make the vehicle heavier to give it greater capacity, as well as to make it more lightweight. By 1925, the company had produced over 125,000 speed wagons.