The 1908 REO RunaboutAn Ode to Simplicity and Speed

In nineteen hundred and eight,
a sight,
The REO Runabout took flight.
Named for Ransom Eli Olds,
A man of courage,
strong and bold.

Olds left his mark with Oldsmobile,
But REO was his next big deal.
A Runabout with style and grace,
For those who craved a faster pace.

With just one cylinder,
eight horses strong,
It chugged the dirt roads all day long.
A planetary gear,
two speeds ahead,
And a hand-cranked start that drivers led.

For farmers,
doctors,
merchants too,
The REO brought a dream come true.
A simple ride,
priced fair and fine,
Just five hundred dollars, a classic design.

Through countryside and bustling town,
This humble roadster earned renown.
Steel frame,
leaf springs,
a sturdy stand,
Built to cross this rugged land.

As Take Me Out to the Ball Game played,
Crowds cheered and clapped,
the anthem stayed.
While dancers twirled to tunes galore,
The REO roared down paths once worn.

Oh,
Ransom Olds,
your name lives on,
In history’s pages,
bold and strong.
A car of grit,
of style and spout,
That little gem,
the REO Runabout.

So here’s to REO’s bygone days,
When engines hummed and music played.
An icon now in memory’s light,
Of freedom’s path and open night.

© Samantha SYRNICH ‘TLC’ 2, November, 2024

ART: ‘Celestial Journey of the 1908 REO”