CHRONICLE OF RACES
Times Square, New York City, February 12, 1908—over 250,000 spectators gathered to witness the start of an extraordinary race to circle the globe from New York to Paris by automobile. It would become the longest automotive competition in history, often without roads and in brutally cold winter conditions. The Around the World Auto Race would span 22,000 miles in just 169 days.
The 1907 Thomas Flyer, priced at $4,000, was a proven machine. Weighing 5,000 pounds when loaded, its four-cylinder, 60-horsepower engine could reach speeds of up to 60 mph. However, the car offered little in terms of comfort or onboard amenities.
With no roads available, the Flyer was designated as Union Pacific Train #49. As rules forbade riding the rails, the team straddled them, jolting from tie to tie for hundreds of miles. A Union Pacific conductor even accompanied the Thomas.
Where rails ended, the Thomas was often forced to go “cross country,” long before the era of four-wheel drive. In one instance, the car became stuck in quicksand, breaking the pinion gear, which was then repaired in a creek bed.
Siberian mud proved nearly worse than the snow and bitter cold of Alaska. At one point, the Thomas advanced just 60 miles over four grueling days, relying on teams of horses and immense human effort to move forward.
Thomas entered Berlin on July 27, then continued on to Paris, arriving at 6 PM on July 30. After 169 days, the Americans secured victory, finishing 26 days ahead of the Germans. The Italians placed third, reaching Paris on September 17, 1908.
A hero’s welcome and ticker-tape parade greeted the winners upon their triumphant return to New York. President Teddy Roosevelt—the first president to drive an automobile—invited the team and the Thomas to his summer White House at Sagamore Hill, Long Island.