You pronounce REO Industries like you would the Brazilian city. However, its cheap, stick-shift Corolla-sized truck won't be built there, or anywhere else. The company says it'll build its gas-powered trucks, which are targeting a starting price of $21,500, right here in the USA.The recipe is as follows: a body-on-frame, back-to-basics truck with a four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission for the American everyman. The guy who pulls his pants on one leg at a time and thinks Luccheses are "frilly."The affordable American truck is coming back.Reservations are now open for the REO Runabout.Target Specs:-$21,500~-4-cylinder gas engine-Manual & automatic transmission-Body-on-frame-Mechanical 4WD-600+ mile tank-Texas builtReserve for $25.https://t.co/6p3E2uxtx8 pic.twitter.com/NuReHoIdCT— REO Industries (@reoindustries) June 16, 2026There's a bit of American heritage in the name, too, and not just the intention to bring back the "affordable American truck." The REO Motor Car Company was founded in 1905 by Ransom Eli Olds after he left his first company, Oldsmobile. This is the company that made the Speed Wagon, an inspiration not just for the pickup in the US but for the band of the same name.REO Industries promises a small stick-shift truck for less than $22,000.REO IndustriesZach De Bernardi, company CEO, built his Texas real estate career into something that allowed him to enjoy his passion for cars, restoring Land Cruisers and the like.AdvertisementAdvertisementThese cars instilled in him a passion for Japanese cars in particular, something he tells Road and Track he wants to bring to the masses with his truck."There's a lot of Toyota DNA from vehicles I love that's going to be put into this vehicle," he said. Three vehicles will launch under the brand's first nameplate: the REO Industries Runabout T4X, the Runabout T4C, and the Runabout S4C SUV.What matters more is the price point and how REO intends to hit that number. Adjusted for inflation, it's cheaper than many new trucks were even 20 years ago. De Bernardi calls his trucks members of an "Ameri-Kei" segment.REO IndustriesKei-class cars are sub-50cc vehicles in Japan designed for utilitarian, cheap transit in the city's centers. They're popular here too, and for the same reasons: small footprint, reliability, and simplicity.AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, their engines and dimensions make them ill-suited to America's wide, straight roads. The Runabouts will be around the size of a Toyota Corolla, with a four-cylinder engine to counter the speed problems Japan's imported Kei vehicles have - many can barely do 70 mph.Screens will be minimal, buttons will abound, and a manual transmission will be offered.REO Industries' SUVREO Industries"When the CAFE laws, or CAFE fees, got removed in December of 2025 that was the biggest indicator to me and our team that, Hey, something like this is possible," De Bernardi told R&T. "I've been watching Slate and the mini-truck market and things like that. It's great, we love it, and wish them the best. But a lot of the feedback ... you kind of just pay attention [and hear], 'Oh, this would be fantastic if it just had a diesel, or if it just had a little four-cylinder,' because that's what the American buyer market wants. Largely because the infrastructure in the United States has not been taken seriously to electrify homes, or [build] charging stations."This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.