Heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another…that REO Speedwagon (the band) got their name from REO Speed Wagon (this automobile).†
I found this ad in the July 15, 1923 issue of Southern Ruralist Magazine. I had initially called my husband to look at the magazine because of the date. I didn’t realize that I had any newspapers or magazines prior to 1930 until I saw this.
REO Motor Car Company had first produced wagons, then later motorized vehicles. The Speed Wagon was considered very dependable, a quality vehicle. They were introduced in 1915 and, according to Wikipedia, produced “through at least 1953”.
So here you go! The “Ancestor of the Pickup Truck”!
†My husband thought that this would be an awesome introduction…he also counts on the song getting stuck in everyone’s head for the day
At a time when there were absolutely no cars on the road, the first cars were a huge innovation which eased mobility, but only for the few wealthy persons who could afford them. Cars have become more aesthetically pleasing since then with hundreds of different models and brands, and their price has come down sharply. Nearly every family in the modernised world has at least one car nowadays, but it is good looking back and getting to know more about the history of automobiles. Interesting articles like these help inform the public, especially younger generations, about the time when these things were not taken for granted like today.
Posted by: Gianfranco@Knoji | 10/26/2012 at 02:31 PM