Lansing’s R.E. Olds Transportation Museum is throwing a birthday party Saturday, Aug. 17 for one of the city’s car companies. REO Motor Car Company was founded in 1904 and is turning 120-years-old this year.
WKAR's Melorie Begay spoke with Sara Schultz to learn more about the company’s impact on Lansing.
Full Transcript:
Begay: Ransom E. Olds is most known for founding the company behind the Oldsmobile, but he left that behind to create the REO Motor Car Company. How big of a deal was that move and why did he decide to start something new?
Sara Schultz: It was a big deal for Lansing. REO Motor Company was born out of Mr. Olds’ dissatisfaction with how things were going with Olds Motor Works, or Oldsmobile.
Basically, he had investors, particularly the Smith family, that had gained more and more control in the company. And I think that Mr. Olds kind of thought that they would stay away from how he was designing the cars.
But, investors, they want to have some say in the company. And when they started to tell, Mr. Olds, “Hey, we'd actually like to switch away from your Curved Dash [Oldsmobile],” which is very popular, by the way, and move into something that's larger and more luxurious,. R.E. Olds didn't want to do that.
And seeing that the Smith family has such control of the company, he really didn't have a choice in what they were saying. So, he decided to leave and start his own company where he could be in charge and do what he wanted to do with the cars.
Begay: What kind of impact did the REO Motor Car Company have on Lansing when it was first introduced?
Schultz: REO Motor Company really had a big influence on Lansing. It, in combination with Oldsmobile, really made Lansing an automotive town. In the 1920s, REO actually employed 10% of Lansing’s population. And we're not talking about the working population. We're talking about anyone in Lansing. 10% of the population was employed by them.
Begay: The Speed Wagon was introduced in 1915 and it's probably the company's biggest triumph. What about this vehicle made it so successful?
Schultz: Okay, so the Speed Wagon was so successful because it was faster than other trucks that were being produced at the same time, and that was because it had a different design for the axle. It moved away from a chain-driven axle. And then it also used air filled tires instead of solid rubber tires, which is what most of its competition was using. So, the Speed Wagon could actually go really fast, which was a whopping 25 miles an hour.
Begay: The REO Motor Car company closed in 1975 after operating for more than 70 years. What kind of impact do you think REO had on Lansing?
Schultz: Well, REO had a big impact, of course, as an employer. So many people in the Lansing area depended on REO for their livelihood. REO also spawned quite a few different other little companies and industries. People who supplied parts for the automobiles. And then, of course, REO also kind of gave back to the community as well. The REO Clubhouse, REO's social center for its workers, was a really big deal for its workers. They showed movies, people got married there. Lansing’s first radio station actually started there in the REO Clubhouse.
Begay: The museum is hosting a 120-year birthday celebration this Saturday for the company and will display some rare REO vehicles. What can people expect to see?
Schultz: Our birthday party, we're going to have a display of REOs outside the museum, and then we're also going to be having some birthday cake to celebrate REO. We're also going to perhaps have an appearance from Mr. Olds himself. It should be a really great time, very educational if people want to come and check out these REO cars that were so prominent on Lansing streets in the past.
Begay: That sounds like a lot of fun. Sarah Schultz is the executive director of the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. Thank you for joining me today, Sarah.
Schultz: Thank you for having me.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
