- Period-corrects 4 Cylinder REO engine
- Vintage Parts
- 30/35 HP
- 3 Speed Manual Transmission
- Solid front axle and live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf
springs
- Rear wheel mechanical drum brakes
- Wheelbase 112''
- Does not run
In the early days of motoring, stripped down Speedsters were the
passion of many young drivers hoping to attain a sporty open air
raceabout from car makers like Mercer or Stutz. In 1914, REO
offered just 2 body styles, a five-passenger touring car and a
two-passenger roadster, both powered by a 30-35 HP engine and
neither of these being particularly sporty in their looks. This
Speedster's origins are believed to have initially been assembled
in the late 70s near Mason, Michigan. It was acquired by an old car
enthusiast, Dan Shafarman, who has a passion for REO automobiles.
Under his ownership, he reportedly had the car running and finished
giving it the speedy persona it has today. Shafarman hand formed
the fenders on this car and then added two vintage brass headlights
which were electfified to operate on a six-volt system. He then
created dual bucket seats for the driver and passenger and added a
fuel tank mounted high behind the seats. Several other special
touches were added to complete the look including a rather
distinguished paint scheme of fire-engine red with bright yellow
applied to the spokes of the demountable rums as well as the
undersides of the fenders plus attractive outlining on the
seats.
