Milk trucks have been around since the early days of the automobile. Simply because milk, like any other popular product, had to be hauled from the producer to the companies that put it in bottles and cartons. Then there were the trucks that shipped the bottles to grocery stores. While most of them were regular haulers, some companies commissioned bespoke vehicles. This bottle-shaped truck is one of them.
Built for Berwick Creamery, this awkward hauler is actually a 1930 REO truck underneath the shell. If you're not familiar with the brand, REO Motor Car Company was founded back in 1905 in Lansing, Michigan by Ransom E. Olds, who had also established Oldsmobile in 1897. REO built passengers cars, trucks, and buses until it went bankrupt in 1967.
And yes, the band REO Speedwagon took its name from one of the company's vehicles, the Speed Wagon delivery truck.
Back to our milk truck, the wreck you see here is probably the only bottle-shaped REO hauler that has survived to this day. Only three of them were built and the whereabouts of the other two are unknown.
This milk truck must have been quite an exotic sight back in the day, but it needs a whole lot of work to recapture its former glory. The body panels look surprisingly good for a 90-year-old truck that's been neglected for decades, but that's mostly because it's made entirely of aluminum. Absolutely no rust to worry about.
On the other hand, its steel frame is rusted beyond recognition and it's in two different pieces. The wood framing needs to be replaced too, while the engine is missing. It does have a transmission and a rear end though.
Needless to say, this is a complex and very expensive restoration project. Researching the history of the truck would be a very difficult task as there isn't a lot of info out there. Luckily, REO built a couple of bottle trucks for other companies too and some of them have been photographed. While they're not identical, they could be useful in restoring this hauler to original specification.
Photo: Barn Finds
But milk trucks aren't for everyone, so this weird "bottlemobile" may need to wait a while longer to get a second chance. Currently auctioned off by eBay seller "hobbygtx70," this truck has been listed before in 2016 and 2020, according to BarnFinds, with no luck in finding a new owner. Current bidding is at $1,265 with two days to go, but reserve hasn't been met. Hopefully it will find a new home this time around.
I'm a sucker for weird vehicles so I'd definitely love to see it move under its own power once again and, why not, maybe even win an award at a classic car show.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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