January/February 2026 Vintage Truck
/The November/December 2025 issue of the magazine is available in our gift shop now and will be available on newsstands soon. Scott Rosenthal’s 1912 REO Model H is an excellent example of the company’s early truck offerings! Check out the cover story by Bob Tomaine, Photos by Al Rogers
Cover Story | 1912 REO Model H
REO SLOW WAGON
Scott Rosenthal’s 1912 REO Model H is an excellent example of the company’s early truck offerings!
Story by Bob Tomaine, Photos by Al Rogers
Call it another chance or call it a fresh start; either way, a new beginning is a rare opportunity. Rarer still is when the second chapter replicates the first chapter’s success.
Ransom Eli Olds knew all about multiple chances in the business world, as the firm he established in 1904 was effectively a new beginning. He named it with his initials as REO Motor Car Co.—sometimes spelling it “Reo” and often “REO”—because his surname was already in use. Understanding how that could happen calls for a look at his background and his family’s business, P.F. Olds & Son, which Ransom joined in 1883.
Not a tinkerer
P.F. Olds & Son produced and repaired steam engines and other machinery—an ideal operation for a young man fascinated with mechanics and equipment.
It would be unfair to say that Olds merely “tinkered,” given that he designed and experimented with vehicles powered by both steam and gasoline. The knowledge and skills he developed from his experiments could not have been better matched to the times, as those with sufficient vision saw that self-propelled vehicles had possibilities, and Olds was already far ahead of the competition. He put his experience to use in 1897 when he established the Olds Motor Vehicle Co.
Unfortunately, business success takes more than skill and a good plan—a powerful lesson Olds learned when his new firm did not work out. Two years later, he formed the Olds Motor Works with the backing of outside investors. This attempt worked out very well for a time with the “Oldsmobile” name arriving in 1900 and some prototypes a year later—among them the ground-breaking Curved Dash Olds—but everything nearly collapsed in 1901 when fire all but destroyed the Olds factory.
A salvaged prototype, the remains of the plant, and engines bought from vendors were enough to enable limited production of the Curved Dash model, but for Olds, the firm’s recovery from the fire and its increasing success were hampered by problems within the company. His investors, he found, were taking control and making decisions with which he did not agree; Olds responded by leaving the general manager’s position and giving up his seat on the board in 1904.
Olds was an automobile man, above all else, so his next move was to start another car company. Before the year ended, he was back in business, operating as the R.E. Olds Co. In what was probably the least surprising development, his former firm challenged the use of his surname, and his response was elegant. Because Olds could not trade under his name, he used initials to come up with the REO Motor Car Co. The first REO was completed by October and was formally introduced at the New York Automobile Show in January.
We would love to get a copy of the January/February 2026 issue of Vintage Truck magazine in your hands! 8 pages of Ford goodness and so much more is waiting for you!
Articles in this issue include:
FEATURES
REO Slow Wagon
Scott Rosenthal’s 1912 REO Model H is an excellent example of the company’s early truck offerings!
Story by Bob Tomaine, Photos by Al RogersBat-wing with a Stovebolt
Chevrolet considered Steve Kofron’s 1959 El Camino “the most beautiful thing ever built to shoulder a load!”
Story and Photos by Jim VolgarinoThe High School Pickup
Jim Longoni’s boat-towing 1960 Dodge D-100 became a lifelong passion!
Story by Loren Hoekema, Photos by Eric Neurath
DEPARTMENTS
Letter from the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Milestone Pickup Trucks: 1957 Ford Styleside Pickups
For Ford Fans: 1989 Ford F-250 XL
Photos from the Attic
Model Maker’s Corner: C-cab Mack Truck
Spoked Wheels: Dump Trucks
As Kids See It: Vintage Truck through the eyes of children
The Road Less Traveled: Tempo Trucks
Ted’s Tech Tips: U-bolt Fabrication
Classifieds
Show Guide
Granny Gear: Put No Truck In
If you can't find Vintage Truck on a newsstand near you, call 800-767-5828 or visit our Gift Shop to order current or back issues. To subscribe, call 888-760-8108 or click here.
