At a time when the automobile was considered “after a woman, the most fragile and capricious thing on earth”*, the thought of racing these new fangled horseless carriages around the world was quite simply… ABSURD! In spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and much skepticism, four International Teams lined up in Times Square the morning of February 12, 1908 at 11:15 AM with a crowd of 250,000 spectators for what was to become the Great Auto Race of 1908. Next stop Paris, even though there were no roads, no gas stations, no repair shops, and many times no sleep or food!

Times Square Start: With a crowd of 250,000 the New York to Paris Racers line up in Times Square for the start of this epic event

The competitors represented the world superpowers of the day; Germany, Italy, France and the United States. There was much at stake, and the eyes of the world would focus on the Racers daily with front page news in the New York Times and Le Matin (a Paris Newspaper), co-sponsors of the race. The Race would become an epic test of machines as well as human endurance and ingenuity in a world that for most had never seen an automobile, much less an American.

Thomas After the Win: Back in Buffalo, NY where the Flyer was built, George Schuster is at the wheel of the Thomas Flyer. Also shown is George Miller who served as mechanic after joining the Race in Buffalo.

The Racers were faced with daily ordeals including obstacles such as towering snow drifts at a time when there were no snow plows, mud so deep that horses would drown in it, threats from bandits in the lawless regions of Siberia, communications which sometimes depended on carrier pigeons, as well as disease where there were no doctors, only home remedies. No fuel, no parts, no money, each Team had to dig deep within themselves if they ever hoped to make it.

Nebraska Mud: Sometimes worse that the snow drifts encountered in New York and Ohio, the Nebraska mud was referred to as “Gumbo”. The accumulation would add hundreds of pounds to the already loaded 5,000 pound Thomas		Siberia 60 miles in 4 days: The thawed permafrost of Siberia proved worse than Nebraska with endless quagmire. At one stretch, the Thomas only made 60 miles after 4 grueling days in the Siberian mud.

It would have been much easier to simply give up, but pure adrenalin and raw determination propelled the Racers. No one would have guessed there would actually be a winner, but the Americans with George Schuster Sr. as driver and Team Captain did the impossible. It took 169 days, and after covering 22,000 miles the American built Thomas Flyer rolled into Paris to win! In the 100 years since the record still stands unbroken and the feat has never again been attempted.

Arrival Valdez AK: Arrival at the Valdez AK pier March 29,1908. The Flyer was the first automobile ever seen, so the whole town turned out with the local band and a parade. However, the snow was so deep, the Thomas never left the pier.		1907 Thomas Flyer: The restored Thomas Flyer as it looks today. The Flyer is now part of the National Automobile Museum Harrah Collection in Reno, NV.

To celebrate the Centennial of the 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race, a two hour TV documentary “The Greatest Auto Race on Earth” is now in production. Plans are also underway to retrace the original competition with a new Great Race from New York to Paris in 2008.

George Schuster 1964: Driver and Team Captain George Schuster shown at the wheel of the restored Thomas Flyer. At the age of 91 he still had his driver’s license, and once again drove the Thomas over some of the same Nevada roads he took 56 years earlier.

For additional information on the documentary, images, historic maps, videos and the Great Race 2008 check out: www.TheGreatAutoRace.com

* London Daily Mail, 1908

By: Jeff Mahl
Great Grandson of George Schuster
Driver and Winner of the New York to Paris Great Race - 1908