1934 Reo Flying Cloud

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys The Hershey Auction event, 7 - 8 October 2026.
Offered Without Reserve $50,000 - $70,000 USD

• One of just 4,460 REOs produced for 1934
• Desirable DeLuxe Coupe from the third-to-last year of REO passenger car production
• Powered by a 268-cid inline six-cylinder engine; three-speed manual transmission with overdrive
• Handsomely finished in black with grey and white accents
• Equipped with Unity fog lights and a rear-mounted covered spare

In 1904, following disagreements with management, Ransom E. Olds departed Oldsmobile, the pioneering automobile company he had founded seven years earlier. He did not remain outside the automotive industry for long. On 16 August 1904, Olds founded the REO Motor Car Company in Lansing, Michigan, and the firm rapidly prospered, becoming one of Americas leading automobile manufacturers by 1907. Initially focused on passenger cars, REO later expanded into buses and trucks, most famously introducing the light-duty REO Speed Wagon in 1915.

By the late 1920s, REO had carved out a strong niche in the upper-middle-priced passenger car market. In 1927, the company introduced the Flying Cloud, a name intended to evoke speed and lightness. Styled by Fabio Segardi, the Flying Cloud was also the first production automobile to employ Lockheeds new internal-expanding hydraulic brake system. The Flying Cloud remained in production through 1936, which proved to be both the models final year and the last year of REO passenger car production, as the company shifted its focus entirely to commercial vehicles beginning in 1937.

This 1934 REO Flying Cloud DeLuxe Coupe is handsomely finished in black with grey and white accents. It rides on whitewall tires mounted to grey-painted wire wheels with factory hubcaps. Exterior appointments include Unity fog lights, dual windshield wipers, dual horns, drivers side exterior mirror, and rear-mounted covered spare. Power is supplied by REOs 268-cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine, backed by a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

The three-passenger interior is centered around a nicely trimmed bench seat with matching door panels. The handsome dashboard houses a full complement of period instrumentation and unusually features glove compartments on both the driver and passenger sides. The ignition switch is centrally positioned, flanked by throttle and lighting controls, while the Unity fog light and overdrive controls are mounted beneath the dashboard to the right of the steering column. Further interior appointments include a windshield-mounted rearview mirror, dual sun visors, and an overhead courtesy light.

One of just 4,460 REOs produced for 1934, this handsome Flying Cloud DeLuxe Coupe represents a rarely encountered example from the final years of REO passenger car production. With distinctive styling, substantial proportions, and the engineering quality for which the marque was known, it offers an appealing opportunity to acquire an uncommon automobile bearing the initials of one of the American automotive industrys great pioneers, Ransom E. Olds.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf26/.