1906 REO Model A Touring Car

REO is an acronym for Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of the Oldsmobile motor car company in 1896. After a disagreement with his directors, he sold his share of Oldsmobile and started his own company in late 1904, and began producing vehicles for the 1905 model year.

REO quickly became one of the most popular selling vehicles in America and became known for reliability and performance, and its sales were simulated by affordable pricing. From 1905 to 1910, REO produced one and two-cylinder vehicles with either touring or roadster bodies. In 1911, they produced their first four-cylinder vehicle. REO built passenger cars in Lansing, Michigan until 1936 and commercial vehicles until the mid-1960s.

This 1906 REO is powered by a two-cylinder, sixteen-horsepower engine which is actually mounted underneath the body. The vehicle is crank started from the side, unlike most vehicles with larger engines which were cranked from the front. The transmission is a two-speed, planetary transmission and the final drive is provided via chain to the rear axle. The body has a demountable rear section which can be easily removed, thus converting the car to a two-passenger roadster.