“The Greatest Auto Race” of 1908
One hundred years ago, the crack of a gold-plated pistol triggered the beginning of the “Greatest Auto Race” of 1908, a global endurance test of man and machine. 17 men dared take part in hopes of proving that the newly invented automobile was not only a practical, durable machine, but could meet the demands of a future on the move.
The “Greatest Auto Race“ of 1908, was inspired by the success of the landmark Peking to Paris race, held one year earlier. The French newspaper Le Matin and later, The New York Times conspired to top that earlier event and stage “the toughest race ever devised.” There was little hope that the automobile could withstand the rigors of such a monumental undertaking.
“The Greatest Auto Race” of 1908 began within a few months. On 12 February 1908, six of the most innovative automobiles of the era, representing France, Germany, Italy and the United States lined up in Times Square, New York City.
Aboard were 17 men, eager to represent their countries and prove that they and their machines were tough enough to endure the ultimate automotive adventure.
The participating teams in 1908
Country: France
Specs: Model 1908, 4-cylinder, 4-speed transmission, max speed approx. 50 mph
Team Members: Team Captain: G. Bourcier de Saint Chaffray • Driver & Mechanic: Alphonse Autran • Assistant: Hans Hendrik Hansen (left the French Team in Chicago, IL and joined the American Team in Cheyenne, WY.)
Results: DNF. Withdrawn from the race by the manufacturer while crossing Japan. (7,332 miles / 11,800 kilometers)
Country: France
Specs: Model 1908, 30HP 4cyl
Team Members: • Driver & Team Captain: Charles Godard • Mechanic: Arthur Hue • Assistant & Cameraman: Maurice Livier
Results: DNF, March 17, 1908. Traveled as far as Carroll, Iowa, before breaking down (1,200 miles / 1,931 kilometers)
Country: France
Specs: two-seater, 15-HP 1-cylinder, 3,300 lb.
Team Members: • Driver & Team Captain: Auguste Pons • Mechanic: Maurice Berthe and Lucien Deschamps
Results: DNF. Traveled as far as Peekskill, NY, before breaking down. (44 miles / 71 kilometers)
Country: Italy
Specs: Model 1908, 40HP, 4-cylinder, 4-speed transmission, max speed approx. 60 mph, 114” wheelbase
Team Members: • Driver: Giulio Sirtori • Mechanic: Henri Haaga • Correspondent: Antonio Scarfoglio
Results: Finished third. Arrived in Paris, France on September 17, 1908.
Country: Germany
Specs: Model 1908, 40HP 4cylinder, max speed approx. 70 mph, fuel capacity 176 gallon, 6.5’ wide – 16’ long, loaded weight 6,000 lbs
Team Members: Team Captain: LT. Hans Koeppen • Driver & Mechanic: Hans Knape • Mechanic: Ernest Maas
Results: First car to arrive in Paris, France on July 26, 1908. The German team was levied a 15-day penalty for taking a train from Ogden, Utah to Seattle. That and a 15 day advantage given to the Thomas Flyer placed the Protos second overall.
Country: United States
Specs: 1907 Model 35, 60HP 4-cylinder, 4-speed transmission, max. speed, approx. 60 mph, 11’ 8” long, loaded weight approx. 5,000 lbs.
Team Members: • Driver & Team Captain: Montague Roberts (replaced by George Schuster in Cheyenne, Wyoming to finish the Race in Paris France) • Mechanic: George Schuster (replaced by George Miller as Mechanic in Cheyenne, Wyoming having joined the Team in Buffalo, New York) • NY Times Correspondent: T Walter Williams (left in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was replaced by George MacAdam also with the New York Times in Seattle, Washington) • Assistant: Hans Hendrik Hansen (joined the American Team in Omaha Nebraska)
Results: The Thomas Flyer was declared the victor, winning by 26 days over the second place German Protos. The German team was penalized a total of 30 days (15 days for not having gone to Alaska, with an additional 15 days for shipping the Protos by railcar in the United States).
From New York to Paris
Upon leaving New York, the teams plowed into a snowstorm in the Northeast. Snow, frigid temperatures and hazardous conditions dogged the teams as they traveled across the American mid-west forcing some of the teams to resort to driving on railroad tracks to avoid the rough going.
Four teams successfully crossed the continent to San Francisco. The Thomas Flyer was the first to arrive and, according to the Race organizers’ plan, catch a ship to Anchorage for the drive across Alaska and the Bering Straight to Vladivostok.
10 foot tall snowdrifts in Alaska made the route impractical, forcing the race organizers to re-route the Thomas back to Seattle and then on to Japan which they crossed before going to the port at Vladivostok for the long journey across Siberia.
All along the racecourse people cheered, urging the drivers on. Celebrations were held, toasts made. The world watched. The Greatest Auto Race was so audacious; it achieved as much popularity as the Olympic Games of 1908.
Three continents, 22,000 miles / 35,000 kilometers and six months later, three teams, from the U.S., Germany and Italy finished, proving that the automobile could withstand the rigors of an around the world race. For the world, the “Greatest Auto Race” established the automobile as an everyday tool, enabling commerce, personal freedom and ultimately a better way of life. The world has never been the same.
Regardless of the mode of transportation, teamwork, determination and ingenuity were required to finish, let alone win. But to better understand what the original adventurers were up against, and what these men and machines were really made of, here are a few quick facts:
FACT: A virtual unknown, the single German entry, the Protos, was manufactured specifically for this race and was built in just sixteen days by six hundred Berlin factory workers. The huge gas tanks designed for long distance travel carried 176 gallons.
FACT: Unlike each of the other contenders, the American Thomas Flyer was a last-minute entry. Three days before the race, automotive entrepreneur E.R. Thomas told his production manager to choose a car to enter. They wisely chose the 1907 Model 35, four-cylinder, four-speed, 60 horsepower Flyer; one of two regular production cars that happened to be on the factory lot in Buffalo, NY at the time. Two long planks lashed to the fenders, served as shelves, and could be quickly detached to create a makeshift bridge. The Flyer also became the first automobile to drive across the US in the winter, with George Schuster the first driver to accomplish the feat.
FACT: It was so cold that the French team, driving the DeDion tried to protect the vehicle’s steel frame from cracking by filling it with wood, wrapped in felt and covered in rubber. Another innovation was rerouting heat from the engine exhaust to keep the crew warm. When crossing Siberia, plans called for large ship sails to be used saving fuel by harnessing the wind.
FACT: The New York to Paris Race saw the first use of “embedded” reporters. A New York Times correspondent rode with the Thomas crew, telegraphing daily dispatches to New York. Race progress was front page news in the Times for nearly 6 months. At one point, they employed carrier pigeons to fly the stories from the ship back to Seattle, Washington, which were then telegraphed back to the New York Times office in NYC.
FACT: The Thomas Flyer was the first to use a “seat belt”. It was a man’s belt nailed to the rider’s seat. It was not intended for safety in the event of a collision, but rather to keep the sleeping rider from falling out of the car.