1927 Reo Flying Cloud

The story of this car begins in 1977

. When holidaying at Darryl's Sister, the car was spotted while on safari in the local countryside. near . It was several years before the car finally made the trip to Brisbane.

The car was not complete so the next ten years were devoted to finding the necessary parts. . . Any Parts.

In 1980 the Blights traveled to Cessnock in search of addition parts and in 1985 the body was sent to Bundaberg for restoration.

In 1986, with the hunt for parts still continuing another REO was purchased. And 1990 saw the mechanical restoration begin in earnest.

Finally In 1994 the car was driven from the Blight shed with only fiddly bits to be completed.

The Car has a 6

cylinder engine which produces 65 H.P. at 2800 revs.

Wheelbase is 121 inches Fitted with hydraulic brakes

1927 REO FLYING CLOUD

Brief history

Ransom Olds, son of the owner of one of the turn of the 19th century's largest manufacturers of gasoline engines, organized the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Detroit in 1897. Olds sold out to a Michigan lumber magnate and organized the Reo Car Company in 1904.

Prior to selling the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, Ransom held a raffle among his employees to suggest a catchy name for the company's vehicles. The name "Oldsmobile" was suggested by the company's timekeeper and it was accepted. When Ransom sold the company, however, he gave up the right to use the name. General Motors bought Olds Motor Vehicle in 1908 and manufactured the Oldsmobile for almost a century.

Starting with a one-cylinder model, the little Reo added a second cylinder. Soon afterward and by 1907, the company's sales were exceeded only by Ford and Buick. Emphasizing quality over production, the Reo earned a deserved reputation as a reliable and top-performing vehicle.

The Reo Flying Cloud made its introduction in 1927. The sleekly-styled automobile was powered by an L-head 4.1 litre (249 cu. in.) sixty-five horsepower engine and a hydraulic brake system, one of the first of its kind. Reo produced cars until 1936 when due to serious financial problems, the company totally abandoned automobile manufacturing.

Ransom Olds' contributions to the automobile industry cannot be overestimated. As the designer and manufacturer of expertly engineered and competitively priced cars for the mass market, his innovations in manufacturing strongly contributed to the growth of the industry in the United States.

In 1978, the Reo Motor Car Company plant located in Lansing, Michigan was designated a national historic landmark. Unfortunately, due to site redevelopment pressures, the landmark designation was withdrawn and the plant was demolished in 1980.