An Old Truck Name Returns With a New Mission
More than a century after Ransom Eli Olds helped define affordable American transportation, the REO name is being revived for another attempt at the same basic goal. Dallas-based REO Industries plans to build a small, gasoline-powered pickup called the Runabout, with the entry-level T4X targeted to start at just $21,500. The company is now accepting fully refundable $25 reservations, although customers will have to wait several years to learn whether its ambitious proposal becomes a production reality.
The original REO Motor Car Company was established by Olds in 1905 after his departure from Oldsmobile, the first car company he founded. Its best-known product, the REO Speed Wagon, arrived in 1915 and became an important ancestor of the modern pickup. The new company is borrowing another historic name for its first model: Runabout, a reference to the inexpensive Curved Dash Olds that helped make automobile ownership accessible early in the 20th century.
This is not intended to be a retro truck wearing an old badge. REO describes the Runabout as an “Ameri-Kei,” inspired by the compact dimensions, utility, and mechanical simplicity of Japanese kei trucks but enlarged for American roads. Three versions are planned: the two-seat T4X work truck, a five-seat T4C crew cab, and an S4C utility vehicle capable of seating up to six people.
A Simple Gas Truck Designed to Work
The T4X is expected to measure about 180 inches long, roughly the length of a compact passenger car and only slightly longer than the electric Slate Truck. Unlike the unibody Ford Maverick, however, REO plans to use traditional body-on-frame construction with mechanical four-wheel drive. A steel drop-side flatbed would give the base model more of a commercial work-truck character than the lifestyle-oriented beds found on most American pickups.
Power is expected to come from a naturally aspirated gasoline four-cylinder paired with either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. REO has not identified the engine supplier or released horsepower figures, but says it wants a proven, uncomplicated powertrain capable of lasting 500,000 miles. The company is also targeting approximately 600 miles per tank, a payload of around 1,200 pounds and a maximum towing capacity of 4,500 pounds.
Simplicity extends inside. The company promises analog gauges, physical switches and levers, and only a small display for diagnostics and Apple CarPlay. Some base trucks may arrive without features such as a radio or fully finished door panels. REO also intends to publish repair information, avoid software-locked replacement parts, support components for 20 years, and let owners access basic diagnostics with an inexpensive scanner. Vehicles would be assembled in Texas and sold directly online without franchised dealers.
REO, Slate and the Return of the Affordable Pickup
REO arrives as automakers and buyers appear to be rediscovering the small truck. Ford proved demand existed with the Maverick, but the once-sub-$20,000 pickup now starts near $30,000. Slate is taking another approach with its stripped-down, rear-wheel-drive electric truck, recently priced at $24,950. REO wants to undercut both while offering gasoline range, quick refueling, a manual transmission, four-wheel drive and greater towing capacity.
Those comparisons are appealing, but they are not yet equal. The Maverick is available today through an established manufacturer. Slate has raised substantial funding, shown physical vehicles and plans to begin deliveries in late 2026. REO has not revealed its completed production design, named its powertrain supplier or built federally certified prototypes. Its current timeline calls for a design reveal in late 2026, pilot builds in 2027, an order configurator in 2028 and initial deliveries in late 2028 or 2029. The company also acknowledges that its $21,500 figure and other specifications remain targets.
That makes a $25 reservation closer to a vote of interest than an order for a finished truck. Still, the response to Slate, the continuing popularity of the Maverick and enthusiasm surrounding imported mini trucks all point toward the same conclusion: many buyers do not necessarily want larger, faster or more complicated pickups. They want something affordable, useful and easy to own. REO has not proven it can build that truck yet, but its proposal suggests the era of the small pickup may only be beginning. It either will succeed, or fade away, just like Oldsmobile.
