It was an ordinary day. Standing in front of the REO Manheim Marketplace in the small town of Manheim which is about 10 miles from the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Read in the Lancaster newspaper yesterday about a new edition to the Marketplace that now sits in front of the REO Manheim Marketplace at 51 N. Main Street in downtown Manheim. The REO Marketplace is located in a series of buildings that had formerly been Bickel's Snack Foods. The location was the home of Manheim's first automobile dealer in 1907. The REO dealership, which at one time stood for Ransom Eli Olds who was the founder of Oldsmobile, was acquired by J. Harvey Spahr and remained in operation as an automobile dealership into the 1930s. Today, a partnership known as Staudt McGovern Holdings owns the property and has been redeveloping the old REO Manheim Marketplace. Two of the members in the partnership are Suzanne and Barney Reiley who happen to have friends who are REO automobile enthusiasts and told them about a 1929 REO Flying Cloud that was for sale. Bob and Heidi happen to already have a 1930 REO Flying Cloud that was purchased from the owner of the earlier dealership of J. Harvey Spahr REO. Well, the Reileys purchased the vehicle in February of 2020 and had it clear-coated and placed it in storage until the outdoor space at the Manheim REO Marketplace became available. The REO was a perfect fit for a business know as the REO Marketplace and it went on display this past March. Well, if you have been reading this blog for sometime, you may remember that I have a soft spot for automobiles having had a 1953 Henry J as well as a variety of other cars, including a 1987 Corvette during my lifetime. So...I just had to hop in my car and head to nearby Manheim to take a look at this new addition.
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1929 REO Flying Cloud |
I immediately saw it under a roof along the main street and found a parking space and made a visit. Not sure what I had expected, but it isn't in pristine shape to say the least. It's actually in need of a whole lot of work! And being it is an antique car, it will cost the owners a pretty penny to restore it to pristine condition. First thing I noticed was the PURDUE UNIVERSITY STUDENT PERMIT sticker from 1950-51.
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