REO Speedwagon
Where did the band get this name?
A 1935 REO Speedwagon
(Credit: Flickr user “Jack Snell”)
It’s the name of a 20th century truck. When the band was forming, one of the members came across the name in a college course.
The “REO Speedwagon” was a truck produced by the founder of Oldsmobile. “REO” were his initials, pronounced “Reo” back then, though the band used periods at one time to force people to pronounce it “R-E-O.”
The truck was made for almost 40 years, through the 1950s.
Why I Looked It Up
I was sitting in a restaurant with Annie and a couple of their songs came on. I got to wondering about their name.