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The 1908 Reo Runabout: From junk yard to museum gem

This 1908 Reo Runabout was rescued by Ike Clarkson from a junk yard. Its original owner was J.M. McConnell of Hamiota, Manitoba, but when Ike found the car in 1960, it was nothing but a pile of rusty remains.
REO
The Reo Runabout, 110 years old, just one of the restored classic cars at the Manitoba Antique Auto Museum in Elkhorn.

This 1908 Reo Runabout was rescued by Ike Clarkson from a junk yard. Its original owner was J.M. McConnell of Hamiota, Manitoba, but when Ike found the car in 1960, it was nothing but a pile of rusty remains. He felt there was a diamond hidden beneath the rust and brought the pieces home.

The body had to be totally remade by hand and was painted the original color. The water and gas tanks are under the hood, and the twin-cylinder engine is beneath the seat, driving the rear wheels by chain.

This car has many features of early automobile engineering such as elliptical spring suspension, high wheels, buggy-type axles, and acetylene head lamps.

Right-hand drive

Back in 1908 when this car was made, there were no laws to specify which side of the road an auto should be driven on. This car’s steering wheel is on the right-hand side.

With engineering limitations and condition of the roads, the car was built with a very high riding position, a relic from the horse drawn buggy.

You will notice the licence plate on the front. More autos were on the roads and they needed some way to identify who the owners were. Thus a number was attached to a piece of leather and strapped to the car with a belt and buckle.

Fast, too!

This model won three cups in one day on Paddock Hill, Cincinnati, beating all 20 of the competing cars, including eight that had 24 horsepower and were double the Reo's price.

The Reo company, named for Ransom E. Olds, managed to survive the Great Depression but was bought out several times before declaring bankruptcy. In its heyday, the company’s slogan was “The Gold Standard of Value”.

The pictured Reo Runabout can be seen at the Manitoba Antique Auto Museum in Elkhorn.

Trivia: The company also made a very popular truck called the REO Speed Wagon, a name adopted by the American rock group REO Speedwagon active in the 70s and 80s.

Submitted by Lillian Jackson of the Elkhorn Museum Restoration Club. The Manitoba Antique Auto Museum in Elkhorn is open to the public seven days a week until the end of September.

 

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