☰
conceptcarz.com
✕

1931 REO Royale Model 35

Victroria by Murray

The REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan-based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. Ransom E. Olds was an entrepreneur who founded multiple companies in the automobile industry. In 1897 Olds founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company and in 1905 left to establish a new company, REO Motor Car Company.

For 1931, the REO looked upmarket with two new eight-cylinder engines and the longer wheelbase Royale. The 1931 Reo Royale was a trendsetting design, introducing design elements that were a precedent for true automotive streamlining in the American market.

The Victoria Eight coupe was designed by Amos Northup. A tentative but important step in the direction of aerodynamics included a rounding of the grille and fenders, a dramatic difference compared to the still very square Flying Cloud from only a few years prior.

Ransom E. Olds was an entrepreneur who founded many automotive companies. In 1897, Olds founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which later (as Oldsmobile) became part of General Motors. In 1905 Olds left Oldsmobile and established the REO Motor Car Company of Lansing, MI. Production of automobiles and trucks would continue until 1975.

The REO Royale wore styling penned by Amos Northup of Murray Design and came equipped with a 125 horsepower straight-eight engine with a nine-bearing crankshaft, one-shot lubrication, and thermostatically controlled radiator shutters. This engine would continue in production until 1933 receiving only minor updates.

The 1931 REO Royale was available as a coupe, victoria, or sedan. Unfortunately, sales were slow in 1931 due to the Great Depression. REO would finish the year with a $3 million loss and a total of 6,762 cars being built. To help stimulate sales, REO dropped prices and increased the horsepower produced by their engines.

by Dan Vaughan