1932 REO 8-35 Royale Rumble Seat Coupe

Eli Olds founded the REO Motor Car Company, in 1905, shortly after selling Oldsmobile, but was prohibited from using his name for a new car manufacturer. Wittingly, his initials R.E.O. were used to name the new company. The Royale, first produced in 1931, was a trend-setting design by noted Murray custom coach designer, Amos Northrup and set the stage for true automotive streamlining. It was the first car tested in a wind tunnel to optimize the aerodynamic design.

This Royal 8-35 has a 135-inch wheelbase and an inline eight-cylinder engine with 358 cubic inches displacement producing 125 horsepower at 3500 RPM. Other features include a nine-bearing crankshaft, a one-shot lubrication system, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters, and a golf club storage door. Only 48 Royales were produced in 1932. There are only six other 8-35 Rumble Seat Coupes that are known to be in existence today.

This car underwent a 14-year frame-off restoration, which was completed in 1991. The 1931 through 1933 Royale series are the only REO Certified CCCA Classics.