The Get-Go Fully Functional Miniature Gas-Powered Machine Always Built? Well, Hybrid Actually, It Was Converted To Run On Compressed Air For The Barnum Too Bailey Circus! It Was The 1906 Reo Baby. It Terms $3,000 To Brand It.

a perfectly accurate ½-scale model of the REO Model Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 5-passenger Light Touring Car introduced to the populace at the New York auto present inward 1906. The Baby REO, mitt built inward 1905, is powered past times a structurally accurate but scaled-down, horizontally-opposed, two-cylinder engine making 2 horsepower (as compared to the full-size car’s xvi horsepower) mated to a planetary transmission, smaller, of course, but only similar the big car’s unit. The brass details, chassis, radiator vanquish – everything is accurate as well as precisely to scale. If nosotros create the math nosotros detect that the Baby’s footprint is ¼ of the full-size motorcar as well as 1/8th its volume. The Baby REO cost $3,000 to gear upwardly – only nearly twice the cost of the motorcar it was made to promote.

Having spent its usefulness inward its start life, the Baby ran off to bring together the circus inward 1911, beingness leased to the Ringling Brothers as well as Barnum as well as Bailey folks until 1936. The circus people made entirely ane modification. In deference to their highly flammable tents they rigged the engine to run on compressed air instead of gasoline.

Baby REO was 'lost' inward 1936. In anticipation of REO's 50th Anniversary, the companionship started a nationwide search for Baby REO. It was constitute inward 1954 inward Altoona, PA inward a REO truck dealer's collection as well as was returned to Lansing for the start fourth dimension inward nearly l years. It went on temporary display inward the REO corporate offices but was ane time again lost until the mid 1980s

The adjacent chapter of this storey begins inward nearly 1979 amongst a see to REO headquarters past times Richard “Dick” Teague, so VP of blueprint for American Motors. AMC was contemplating the buy of REO as well as Teague saw the Baby REO calling out to him from its display inward the lobby.

Teague was straightaway intrigued amongst the Baby REO as well as it possibilities. His thought was non entirely to restore the Baby REO but to claw it upwardly amongst a perfect, matching 1906 REO Model Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Light Touring Car equally well.

And that’s what he did. But start he had to rail it downwardly again. In the meantime it had been moved to the Mississippi offices of ane of REO’s fiscal backers who had taken informal possession of it. Teague would non induce got no for an answer as well as ended upwardly paying $3,000 (just nearly the master copy cost to gear upwardly the Baby) summation a squeamish dinner out for the seller.

That project, matching a Mama to the Baby as well as meticulously restoring both, became a labor of honey that took Teague to a greater extent than than a few years. But it was good worth it past times whatsoever measure, as well as Teague had them inward his famous collection until his expiry inward the 1980s. Mama as well as Baby so ended upwardly dorsum on the lam ane time once again from ane collector to another.

Mama as well as Baby REO induce got traveled equally an identical twosome continually since the belatedly 1980s.

In mid-August 2008, Mama as well as Baby were auctioned inward Pebble Beach, CA as well as were purchased past times Peter as well as Debbie Stephens, the great-granddaughter of Ransom Eli Olds as well as her husband. The Stephens are loaning the cars to the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum inward Lansing on a permanent long-term basis. The menage unit of measurement is pleased to induce got the twosome dorsum together as well as inward an ideal house for display.

The 1906 Baby REO is an identical, working gas-powered 1/2 scale miniature replica of its full-sized Mama. Built equally a REO promotional tool for the 1906 model year, Baby REO was the start fully functional miniature gas-powered motorcar always built. The twosome is valued at a priceless amount.

The Baby REO was start unveiled inward Jan 1906 at the National Auto Show inward New York's Grand Central Place, it afterwards made a cross province tour visiting dealers' showrooms, fairs, conventions as well as other auto shows to critical acclaim as well as enthusiastic reviews.