REO Trucks teams up with frankstephenson design on its new Runabout lineup

REO Trucks has announced frankstephenson design, the studio founded by legendary automotive designer Frank Stephenson, as its design partner for the new Runabout lineup.

REO said over the summer that the people designing the Runabout were household names. Today, it can say who.

Over four decades, working for some of the biggest names in the business, Stephenson has designed or led the design of the modern MINI, the first BMW X5, the Fiat 500, the Ferrari F430, the Maserati MC12 and the McLaren P1. His work runs from supercars to small cars that became icons, and much of it has sold in huge numbers.

“This is a big moment for REO. It is a huge privilege for us to be working with Frank and the team at frankstephenson design. Frank brings a wealth of experience, and to have someone of his caliber and global standing want to come in and help shape the future of REO is something we are incredibly excited about. Frank has led some of the most successful nameplate revivals in the industry and we are confident that the REO revival will be no less successful.

He and his team are well into the detail phase of shaping all three variants of the Runabout, and we couldn't have chosen a better partner to help us honor Ransom Eli Olds' legacy. We'll be releasing teasers over the coming weeks, building to a digital reveal later this year, with the first physical vehicle to follow in 2027.”

frankstephenson design is working with REO on all three Runabout models: the T4X work truck, the T4C crew cab and the S4C SUV, which are being designed around reliability and right to repair. That means a physical switch or lever for every control, panels and trim that come off in under five minutes with common tools, a powertrain engineered to run 500,000 miles and no parts-pairing, so no component is ever software-locked to the truck.

“We're proud to be working with REO, a brand with more than a century of American history behind it. It isn't often you get the chance to help bring a name like this back, and the team of visionaries behind REO has a very clear idea of what these trucks need to be: simple, honest and built to last. That's a brilliant brief for any designer. Our team is really enjoying shaping all three Runabout models, and we can't wait to start showing people the work.”

While rooted in simplicity and longevity, REO remains focused on what lies ahead. Every Runabout vehicle is engineered to integrate next-generation autonomous driving hardware, safeguarding long-term utility and giving owners an extended operational lifespan. By preparing its platform for future mobility paradigms, REO ensures its customers remain ahead of the curve as transportation evolves.

The same thinking extends to parts. The Runabout is open source, and through an authorized maker program, approved manufacturers can sell parts directly to owners on REO's online marketplace, with real prices and published fees. The company's own parts catalog is public, fairly priced and backed for 20 years.

REO announced its rebirth earlier this year with a simple promise: build the honest, affordable truck the rest of the industry walked away from. Working with frankstephenson design shows how seriously REO takes design, even on trucks built to be affordable and easy to fix.

Following the digital reveal later this year, pilot builds are planned for 2027, with first deliveries targeted for late 2028 or 2029.

REO has taken more than 32,500 paid reservations for the Runabout so far, and reservations remain open at reotrucks.com for a fully refundable $25.