US Startup REO Pitches $21,500 Manual-Transmission “Ameri-Kei” Pickup for 2028

A fresh-faced American automaker is gunning for the budget pickup segment with a trio of no-frills trucks and SUVs that blend Japanese Kei-car DNA with Texas-built grit. REO Industries—named after a defunct 1905 brand resurrected by Texas realtor Zach De Bernardi—has opened refundable $25 deposits for its upcoming Runabout lineup, slated to hit the road in 2028. The entry-level Runabout T4X starts at $21,500, the mid-spec T4C at $25,000, and the Runabout S4C SUV at $28,500. All three models share a body-on-frame chassis and mechanical four-wheel drive, but REO is skipping the EV bandwagon entirely: each is powered by a simple four-cylinder gas engine devoid of modern direct injection, mated exclusively to a manual transmission. The T4X measures just 180 inches (4,572 mm) long—shorter than a Mazda3 sedan—earning the “Ameri-Kei” label for its scaled-up Kei-car proportions. Base trims arrive stripped to the bones: no radio, no finished door cards, and a blank canvas philosophy that extends to an open-source approach. REO will publish critical vehicle data usually locked behind OEM firewalls, inviting owners to design and sell their own accessories via the company’s marketplace. Production is earmarked for Texas, with pre-production slated for 2027, customer orders opening in 2028, and first deliveries expected by late 2028 or early 2029. The startup joins a growing pack of scrappy US outfits chasing the small, cheap truck dream, but REO’s blend of retro naming rights, Toyota-inspired engineering, and radical transparency could set it apart.