The Great Automobile Race of 1908

July 30, 2008 12:32 AM

On 30th July 1908, after 169 days of competition, the 4-cylinder, 60-horsepower Thomas Flyer, driven by George Schuster from America, crossed the finish line to win the Great 1908 New York-to-Paris Automobile Race. After driving to the West Coast, the vehicles were shipped to Vladivostok from where only three teams managed to continue with the race across Asia and Europe.

[I wonder if Time will change their title to 'New York-to-Paris'?]
See also:
-The Great Auto Race 1908
-The Greatest Auto Race on Earth

posted by peacay (5 comments total)

Amazing. Especially when you think of what 1908 automobile technology (the tyres in particular come to mind) must have been like.
posted by Phanx at 2:36 AM on July 30, 2008

Also a subject of the Blake Edwards film The Great Race. Which also has the largest pie fight ever stagged.
Brandy, Brandy, throw more Brandy.
posted by doctoryes at 2:52 AM on July 30, 2008

Dom Deluise is NOT impressed
posted by peewinkle at 4:16 AM on July 30, 2008

I could have done with some description of the siberia-paris leg of the trip. The article talks up the accomplishment of driving from NYC to SF in 22 days, what about the other 5 months (less after shipping time) spent driving across a place that EVEN NOW is a miserable proposition and the primary thoroughfare is nicknamed the "road of bones". Siberia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe must have been gnarly 100 years ago. I couldn't even find a map of the route that they took. Super interesting topic, but all the information out there is pretty shallow.
posted by youthenrage at 6:53 AM on July 30, 2008

youtheenrage, you're essentially right: the photos are the mainstay of the post and web presence, although there is a google maps intinerary/route available.
posted by peacay at 7:37 AM on July 30, 2008