The "The Flying Cloud In Manheim" Story

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.  

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.  

Sticker on the windshield in front of the rear-view mirror.

Made me wonder what it may have looked like 70 years ago.  I happened to be the only person in the vicinity, so I spent the better part of the next half-hour looking at every part of the car and taking quite a few photographs to share with you.  I'm sure that with a bit of restoration the car may at one time look as it perhaps did in 1929.  Check out the photos that follow.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Over all look at the car from the right passenger's side.

Rear shot showing the spare tire on the back of the car.

I just love the wooden spokes and wide white walls.

Head lamp

Running board which holds what looks to be metal foot scrapers.

The familiar REO logo.

Twin door handles that are next to one another.

This looks to be a shock that is fabric.

Rough interior with very little instrumentation.

View of front seat and gauges from the passenger side.  I liked the "suicide knob" on the steering wheel which today is illegal.

Wooden braces with light on the ceiling of passenger area.

Final photo shows the wooden floor of the automobile.