Following his grudging departure from Oldsmobile, automotive pioneer Ransom E. Olds established the REO Motor Car Company in 1905. REO produced a range of high-quality cars, but its lasting fame was earned by its trucks. The hard-working vehicle it introduced in 1915 featured an open-backed body style (making it the forerunner of what we now call the pickup truck), while its pairing of a 27-horsepower external-valve four-cylinder engine and a three-speed transmission with relatively tall gearing made it capable of higher-than-average on-road speeds, inspiring its now-famous name: The REO Speed Wagon.
