[David_Hayward (RIP)]

As this is a Canadian site and as this is an area I am researching, here is some information to add to that excellent text from Clive. All I need to add is that REO Motors Limited of London were post-WW1 and sold REO Speedwagons, and then various other heavy trucks in the 1930s.

The records of the Packard Electric Co. Ltd. show that on 16 January 1909, the automobile department was apparently sold to the REO Motor Car Company of Lansing, Michigan:. The old plant went back into production around April 1909 after having been closed ‘owing to trade depression’. The Canadian branch of REO started out as the REO AUTOMOBILE COMPANY LIMITED, formed on 10 December 1908 in Windsor, Ontario. The parent organization held 3,995 of the 4,000 $10 par shares, with single shares being owned by Ransom Olds, Richard Scott, Edward Peer, Donald E. Bates, and W.G. Morley, the former Olds Motor Works official who became the manager of the Canadian operations. The move to St. Catherines, Ontario became official on 23 January 1909 when the company’s name was changed to the REO MOTOR CAR COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED. Capital stock was increased fivefold. $99,500 worth of stock (at par) was editioned to Packard Electric in exchange for their complete automobile plant and a lump sum of $10,000. Manufacturing continued much as it had before. REO advertisements made no reference to Packard Electric, discounting notions that it was building cars for REO. The company exhibited at the 1910 Canadian National Exhibition, and a photograph exists showing their stand at the C.N.E. In 1911 REO were amongst others being sold by the Automobile and Supply Company Limited, not surprising since they had sold Oldsmobiles previously.

Business was booming and a doubling of plant capacity was accomplished in late summer of 1912, from 600 to 1,200 per annum. A major promotional event for the Canadian branch of REO was a coast-to-coast drive by the Englishman Thomas W. Wilby in 1912: Wilby published a book about the expedition, A Motor Tour Through Canada in 1914.

REO followed the tradition set by Packard Electric in making extensive use of machine tools, since these were part of the plant as purchased. Components were fairly standardised and one example of this is the use of carriage bolts with standard thread that could be found in any hardware store. Some of the machinists employed at the REO factory later joined the McKINNON DASH AND METAL WORKS LIMITED, of St. Catherines, which was later to be a major supplier to General Motors of Canada and then absorbed by that company in 1929. Production was allegedly ended in 1913 and at this time many tools and pieces of equipment were simply abandoned. Reportedly one former company man outfitted his own home garage as a complete machine shop. However, it is likely that the company stopped producing cars in 1915, switching instead to war munitions, under the name of METAL DRAWING COMPANY LIMITED, located at the junction of Mill Street and Phelps Street. Packard Electric Company Limited turned their premises across the ‘Mill Race’ to a war munitions plant REO production stopped in 1913 in St. Catherines for at least two reasons. Production costs had become prohibitive, possibly since competition was becoming fierce in this period (Ford had just debugged his moving assembly lines in Michigan). The other reason was an attempt to save on weight by using a pressed fibre body, supplied by the CHATHAM CARRIAGE COMPANY [William Gray & Sons Limited]. Sadly this scheme turned into a nightmare as the panels could not be completely weatherproofed and moisture quickly caused distortion, and eventual disintegration [it is believed that this also applied to early Gray-Dort bodies as well]. The opening of a sales office in St. Catherines to handle REO distribution for Canada supposedly followed the end of production, although there was it seems a degree of overlap of a few months. The REO Motor Car Company [of Canada Limited] had premises in Mill Street, St. Catherines but by the time of the Toronto Auto Show in February 1913 they also had General Selling Agents, ‘THE REO SALES COMPANY’ who were initially it seems based in St. Catherines, selling in that final year the 2-passenger and 5-passenger REO at $1,750 f.o.b. St. Catherines. They in turn appointed Local Agents, Anderson Limited of 559½ Yonge Street, Toronto, and a host of our companies in the general area. However The Reo Sales Company apparently moved to Toronto subsequently as they were at 61-63 Ontario Street, by 1914-15 according to a street directory. The Sales Company also exhibited at the [August] 1913 and 1914 Canadian National Exhibitions, and Anderson Limited were again Local Agents in the summer of 1914. This organisation also reportedly established the first public garage in the city. The parent Packard plant in Michigan stopped automobile production in 1914 to build military trucks for the Canadian government. The St. Catharine’s plant was activated again in 1915 to produce shrapnel shells. By January 1916 The Reo Sales Company had become or been replaced by REO MOTOR SALES COMPANY OF TORONTO LIMITED now of 591 Yonge Street, Toronto, selling Lansing-built Reo cars and also the separate Reo trucks. The company continued to trade through the war, and in 1922 were at 593-5 Yonge Street. The Reo Motor Car Company of Canada Limited head offices were moved to Walkerville [‘Windsor’] in 1922 by when they were selling the Reo Speed Wagon. Later they moved to Toronto (Leaside) in the former Durant factory then owned by Durant-Frontenac Motors Limited [the DURANT MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED had taken over the abandoned Laird Avenue, Leaside, premises of the Leaside Munitions Company; in 1931 Durant sold its interest to Canadian investors and Frontenacs were built until 1934].

I assume that Reo Motor Car Co. Ltd remained in Windsor during WW2? Hope that this is of interest.