1907 REO Model G Roadster

Ransom Eli Olds was successful in selling his Curved Dash Oldsmobile, but when he resisted dropping it in favor of a more modern, expensive automobile he was forced out of his own company. A few months after leaving he created his own company named R.E. Olds Company. The name was later changed to REO Motor Company, using his initials, after Olds' principal investor, Samuel Smith, complained.

The REO Company manufactured automobiles and trucks from 1905 through 1936. Their first car was completed in October of 1904 and shown a few months later at the New York show in January 1905. The model lineup consisted of a sixteen-horsepower twin-cylinder car that had a base price of $1,250 and a single-cylinder car priced at $650. This put them in the Olds Curved Dash price range which made management at Olds nervous, as the REO was a lot more car. By 1906, REO sales surpassed Oldsmobile's. In 1907, it was one of the top four automobile manufacturers in the United States, based on sales. After 1908, the demise of the REO Company began due to competition from Ford and General Motors. Their single-cylinder cars would continue in production until 1910.

This 1907 Reo Model G was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $2,000 - $4,000 and offered without reserve. The car was listed as a parts car which made the high bid of $7,700 including the buyer's premium a welcomed surprise. The car has no engine or transmission, sits on a wheelbase that measures 76 inches, and has two-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007