1908 Reo Model G 4-Passenger Runabout
Ransom Olds founded the REO Motor Car Company in 1904 (using his initials after being barred from using his surname) following a falling-out with the investors controlling Olds Motor Works.
By 1907, REO had grown to rank among the four largest automobile manufacturers in the country by gross sales, a position built largely on affordable, well-engineered runabouts like the Model G.
The Model G occupied the lighter end of the REO lineup. Its open body, brass hardware, and spoked wheels were typical of the period’s runabout configuration.
Power came from a horizontal single-cylinder L-head engine displacing 106 cubic inches and rated at 16 horsepower, fed through a two-speed planetary gearbox with chain drive to the rear axle. The chassis measured 90 inches between axles.
REO produced 4,105 vehicles in 1908, a high point before competition from Ford and the newly organized General Motors began cutting into the company’s market share through the following decade.
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