The Reo Thirty of 1911 was advertised as being built “along the same general engineering lines as the high-powered cars at four to six thousand dollars…[with] certain qualities not found in any other car…comfort at all speeds; full use of power on all roads; safety; buoyancy. These are possible in a light car of high power.” Its 30-horsepower four-cylinder engine, mounted in a fairly light automobile for its era, provided respectable performance, and the bodywork was jauntily designed and highly attractive as well; further, it was a surprisingly easy vehicle to drive. Not for nothing was the company’s slogan “You Can Do It With a Reo.”

The Thirty Touring offered here is believed to have been restored in the early 1970s, from a largely solid and intact, original car; assorted restoration photographs, included in the file, testify to its condition prior to the work, as well as the excellent hand craftsmanship undertaken, with other original examples having been examined to aid in the work. Records in the file note that it was acquired in 1977 by Claud and Louise Saunders of Belleville, Illinois, and subsequently purchased in 2000 by Gary Wallace of Arnold, Missouri, from whom Clive and Janet Cussler purchased it in 2018.

Largely well-preserved since its completion, the car is finished in a striking combination of russet orange and deep burgundy, with black leather interior, matching fabric top, and natural-finish wood wheels, and is overall quite attractive, though there are some minor signs of use and paint loss around panel gaps. Accessories include a Phinney-Walker Keyless Clock, Reo-badged Motometer, a Jones speedometer/odometer combination, and handsome brass lights and side-view mirrors, as well as brake lights for modern touring.

A wonderful specimen from Ransom E. Olds’s second automobile company, this car offers excellent engineering and restoration quality, as well as dashing colors appropriate for a sporty touring car.