It was 1908. Cars were basically vibrating metal couches that broke down if you looked at them funny. Most people still used horses. Yet, somehow, a group of absolute madmen decided to drive from New York to Paris. Not by boat—by driving west. That meant crossing the United States, shipping over to Alaska (or trying to), crossing the Bering Strait, and then surviving the frozen wasteland of Siberia.
This isn't just a story; it's the core of The Great Race, a book that tracks the impossible 169-day journey that changed how the world looked at cars forever.
If you've read the book or seen the grainy photos, you know it feels like fever-dream fiction. It wasn't. It was 22,000 miles of mud, snow, and mechanical failure. Honestly, it’s a miracle anyone survived, let alone finished.
Why the 1908 Race Was Actually Insane
Most modern road trips involve podcasts and air conditioning. In 1908, there were no "roads" in the way we think of them. Once the teams left the paved streets of New York, they were basically navigating by intuition and sheer willpower.
The book does a killer job of highlighting the national pride at stake. You had the Germans in their massive Protos, the Italians in a Zust, the French in three different cars (including a De Dion-Bouton), and the Americans in the Thomas Flyer. Everyone thought the Americans would lose. The Thomas Flyer was a stock car pulled right off the factory floor in Buffalo. It shouldn't have beat the engineered-to-the-teeth European models. But it did.
The Route That Made No Sense
The original plan was to drive across the United States, go up to Alaska, and drive across the frozen Bering Strait.
Think about that.
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Driving a 1908 car on an ice bridge.
The teams eventually realized this was a death wish. After the Thomas Flyer reached San Francisco and then trekked up to Valdez, Alaska, the organizers saw the snow was literally fifteen feet deep. They had to pivot. The cars were shipped across the Pacific to Japan and then Vladivostok to begin the grueling trek across Russia.
The Thomas Flyer and George Schuster’s Legacy
If you're looking for a hero, it’s George Schuster. He wasn't even supposed to be the lead driver, but he was the only one who stayed with the Thomas Flyer for the entire duration.
The book details how Schuster had to deal with more than just engine trouble. He had to deal with internal team politics and the fact that the German team, led by Hans Koeppen, was actually "cheating" by putting their car on a train for part of the trip across the U.S. because of a breakdown.
The Great Race breaks down the numbers that matter:
- Total Days: 169
- Total Miles: Approximately 22,000
- Starting Cars: 6
- Finishing Cars: 3 (Technically, though the Protos arrived first, they were penalized 30 days for using a train, making the Thomas Flyer the winner).
The Thomas Flyer actually finished 26 days after the Germans arrived in Paris, but because of the train penalty and the extra time the Americans spent traveling to Alaska, they were declared the winners by a margin of 4 days. It’s one of the most controversial finishes in sporting history.
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The Brutality of the Siberian Tundra
The most visceral parts of the book happen in Russia. Imagine driving through mud so deep it reaches the axles. There were no gas stations. The teams had to arrange for barrels of fuel to be dropped off by horse-drawn carts weeks in advance.
Schuster writes about sleeping in the car while wolves circled them. The Italian team in the Zust almost starved. The French De Dion-Bouton dropped out early because they couldn't handle the logistics. It was a war of attrition.
You see, the book isn't just about engines. It's about the dawn of the "Automobile Age." Before this race, cars were toys for the rich to drive in parks. After this, people realized that a car could go anywhere a horse could go—and then some. It proved that internal combustion was the future.
Real Statistics from the 1908 New York to Paris Race
| Team | Country | Car | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Flyer | USA | 60-hp Model 35 | Winner |
| Protos | Germany | 40-hp | Arrived first, disqualified/penalized |
| Zust | Italy | 40-hp | Finished 3rd |
| De Dion-Bouton | France | 30-hp | Withdrew in Russia |
| Motobloc | France | 24-hp | Withdrew in Iowa |
| Sizaire-Naudin | France | 15-hp | Withdrew in New York state |
What the Book Gets Right (And What People Forget)
People often confuse the real story with the 1965 movie The Great Race starring Jack Lemmon. That movie is a slapstick comedy. The book is a gritty survival manual.
One thing the book emphasizes is the sheer physical labor. They didn't have tow trucks. If you got stuck in a ditch in Indiana, you spent ten hours digging. If your axle snapped in the middle of the Gobi desert, you found a local blacksmith who had never seen a car and tried to explain how to forge a new part.
It also touches on the racial and cultural tensions of 1908. As the teams moved through Asia and Russia, they were often the first Westerners—and certainly the first "horseless carriages"—the locals had ever seen. The book doesn't shy away from the fact that the explorers often viewed the locals through a very biased, colonial lens, which is an important historical nuance to keep in mind.
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Why You Should Care About This Story Today
We live in an era of GPS and pavement. We've lost the "edge" of travel. The Great Race reminds us of a time when the world was still vast and dangerous.
The Thomas Flyer itself is now at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. It’s still covered in the "patina" of the race. If you see it in person, you realize how flimsy it looks. It's basically wood, thin steel, and leather. The idea of taking that thing through a Siberian winter is insane.
If you're an automotive history buff, or just someone who likes stories about people doing things that shouldn't be possible, this book is essential. It's about the moment the 20th century actually started.
How to Explore The Great Race History Yourself
If you want to dive deeper into the history of the 1908 New York to Paris Race, start with these specific steps to get the full picture beyond the general lore:
- Visit the National Automobile Museum: If you're ever in Reno, you have to see the Thomas Flyer. It was restored to its "as-finished" condition, meaning it still looks like it just rolled off the boat from France.
- Read George Schuster’s Personal Account: While many books summarize the race, Schuster’s own memoir, The Longest Auto Race, provides the most granular, "I was there" details about the mechanical failures.
- Research the "Great Race" Commemorative Runs: Every few decades, vintage car enthusiasts try to recreate parts of the route. Looking into the 2008 centennial attempts shows just how hard the drive still is today, even with modern support.
- Check the New York Times Archives: The Times was a major sponsor of the original race. Their digital archives from February to July 1908 contain the original dispatches sent via telegraph from the drivers. Reading the "live" reporting from 110+ years ago is a trip.
The 1908 race wasn't just a competition; it was the ultimate stress test for a technology that would redefine human civilization. Whether you're a gearhead or a history nerd, the story of the Thomas Flyer is the ultimate "underdog" tale that actually happened.