Deuce "Eager Beaver" article

This is from the book The World's Toughest Truck: The Reo / Diamond Reo Story, by Ebert, Neal & Fijalkovich. This article is part of Chapter 5, which gives you a brief look at the history of the Reo designed M34/M35 trucks. The book provides a complete history of the company, especially the commercial trucks, but does discuss the military trucks along the way.

Cool article! How old is that?

The book was printed in 2006. If your interested in old trucks, it's a great book. Lots of very good pictures (some in color), and informative text dealing with Reo's early history, through its purchase by White, and the final years with other owners. Talks about the employees, the dealers and building Reos. Plus it has many charts - production numbers, sales & income, specs of the trucks produced, military truck production,etc.

As you can see...I highly recommend it

Amazon.com: The World's Toughest Truck: The Reo/Diamond Reo Story: Robert R. Ebert, James R. Neal, Timothy P. Fijalkovich: Books

"Thus, contracts for 2 1/2 ton Eager Beaver trucks were also awarded to General Motors and to Studebaker through 1953."

Are you sure this isn't a misprint? I've never seen a GM produced M35 truck. I think maybe the writer got mixed up with the GM M135/M211 trucks that were being produced at the same time but was a completly different truck.

I saw that too, and agree with your assessment. I started to mention it when I posted this article and ask everyone about it, but didn't. Sounds like we agree on the answer - they should have made the distinction between the trucks.

In later chapters it mentions that Reo competed against GM for additional two & half ton truck orders and lost. It states that this is one reason why Reo got into trouble - it couldn't price its military trucks as low as GM. So it continued to lose sales at a time when it needed every unit.

Okay...who just bought the two cheap copies of this book from Amazon??? There were two new copies for about $25 and now they are GONE!!! Confess!!

Just kiddin'. If an SS member bought them, I'm glad...you'll enjoy it!!!

The funny thing is they continued to build the M35 series trucks into the late '80s long after Reo was long gone. That's the problem with companies designing anything for the military. After you submit the design and they sign off on it you loose all rights to it. Anybody (the lowest bidder) can build your exact same item and there is nothing you can do about it.

m16ty said:

"Thus, contracts for 2 1/2 ton Eager Beaver trucks were also awarded to General Motors and to Studebaker through 1953."

Are you sure this isn't a misprint? I've never seen a GM produced M35 truck. I think maybe the writer got mixed up with the GM M135/M211 trucks that were being produced at the same time but was a completly different truck.

Click to expand...

I thought that General Motors built some of the M44 series trucks under a brand name, perhaps "General Products Division" or something similar?

Jake0147 said:

I thought that General Motors built some of the M44 series trucks under a brand name, perhaps "General Products Division" or something similar?

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General Products Division was a division of the Jeep Corp. It says so on the data plates of the GPD trucks. I'm almost 100% sure GM didn't build any of the M44 trucks.

There is one copy of this REO book for sale on Amazon for $25. Better hurry!!! You'll enjoy it. The other one is listed at $82...yikes!!!

Amazon.com: The World's Toughest Truck: The Reo/Diamond Reo Story (9780966075175): Robert R. Ebert, James R. Neal, Timothy P. Fijalkovich: Books

If you want a copy of the book - I suggest Hastings. They seem to always have a copy on the shelf and can be drop-shipped in about 5 days if you order it.

BUMP

The pictures in the book show a LOGO of the EAGER BEAVER on the cab door.

Does anyone know of a clear reproducible photo of that LOGO

USAFSS-ColdWarrior said:

BUMP

The pictures in the book show a LOGO of the EAGER BEAVER on the cab door.

Does anyone know of a clear reproducible photo of that LOGO

Click to expand...

The one on page 58? Perhaps a local sign shop could reproduce a very close copy. Making them into magnets would be a cool idea too. You could put them on the Deuce doors at shows!


Using this picture version might help them - it should be large enough to help them see the details. I'm sure they could add the right colors. This image is from a different Reo book, but it looks like the same logo. It would be close enough that no one would ever notice the difference.

Factory fresh M34.... WOW

USAFSS-ColdWarrior said:

BUMP

The pictures in the book show a LOGO of the EAGER BEAVER on the cab door.

Does anyone know of a clear reproducible photo of that LOGO

Click to expand...

Yep...factory fresh Deuces!

The link to the thread for the book.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/37239-deuce-pics-reo-book.html

Thank you, gentlemen!