A 1907 Model 35 with 4 cylinders and 60 horsepower,
dubbed Thomas Flyer,
won the
1908 New York to Paris Race, the first and only around-the-world
automobile race ever held. The race began in Times Square, New York, on
February 12 and covered some 22,000 miles (35,000 km), finishing in Paris
on July 30, 1908. Six teams started the race (one Italian, one German,
three French, and the American Flyer). Only three of the cars finished,
the Thomas Flyer which won, the
German Protos, and the
Italian Züst. The original intent was to drive the full distance using
the frozen Bering Strait to drive across the Pacific Ocean. In the course
of the race, the Flyer was the first car to cross the United States taking
41 days 8 hours and 15 minutes, and the first to do so in the winter with
George Schuster the first automobile driver to ever make the
transcontinental winter crossing of the US. Finishing in 169 days
was a remarkable feat, considering the lack of roads and services in 1908.
Schuster, the driver, was the only member of the Thomas crew to go the
full distance.
The Flyer survived and was restored to the exact condition
it entered Paris on that day by
William F. Harrah. It is now on exhibit at the
National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. Additional details with
numerous photos and videos on the 1908 New York to Paris Race are
available at
The Great Auto Race of 1908
The Germans arrived in Paris on July 26,
1908. The American Flyer arrived at the edge of the city on July 30, and
initially was not allowed into Paris by police because it had a broken
headlamp. A passerby offered the team a bicycle light. With no tools to
remove the light, they simply strapped the bike on the Thomas Flyer so
they could enter Paris and finish the race. The questionable setback put
them in second with the Germans arriving first. It was later discovered
the Protos took some shortcuts on its path and was penalized, so the
American team that actually arrived second was declared the official
winner of the epic race.