REO Speed Wagon

The REO Speed Wagon was a light motor truck built by the REO Motor Car Company of Lansing, Michigan, and is regarded as an ancestor of the pickup truck. It was introduced in 1915 and stayed in production through at least 1953, which made REO one of the best-known American makers of commercial vehicles before the Second World War. The chassis and styling stayed much the same for decades, while the truck was built in many configurations, including pickup and panel bodies and a passenger bus, and was used as a delivery, tow, dump and fire truck and as a hearse and ambulance. Outside firms supplied conversions for special uses. It ran on REO's Gold Crown engines, which had a name for power and durability. About 125,000 had been built by 1925. The rock band REO Speedwagon took its name from this truck.