Early in the 20th century, REO established a reputation as one of the most successful early producers of light commercial trucks. An ad that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1911 boasted that "One REO and one man will do more work than three teams (of horses) and their drivers at one third the expense." In 1915, REO introduced a classic design which continued to be popular through the '30s. Between 1937 and 1939, the half-ton Speed Delivery models came with Silver Crown Continental engines, so named because the cylinder heads were painted silver. Two features that distinguished the 1939 REO Speed Delivery vehicle were hydraulic brakes and synchromesh between the second and third gears of the three-speed manual transmission. Both sides of the windshield opened for superior ventilation. And, unlike most trucks, this one had armrests and ashtrays on the doors, as well as a chrome front bumper. And now this classic truck is recreated in a precision-engineered 1:43 scale replica produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.

(1998)

Scale: 1:43