1908 New York to Paris Race

In addition to our first episode about the 2023 Great Race, we dive deep into the sensational 1908 Great Race which featured six cars racing around the world from New York to Paris. Our guest is Jeff Mahl whose great-grandfather, George Schuster, won the event while driving a 1907 Thomas Flyer. The race was full of adventure, drama, fighting, cheating, scandals, bandits, and more. Most of the world hadn’t seen an automobile, there were very few paved roads, and some car manufacturers thought the competition was insane. 

The race has inspired the modern version of The Great Race, movies, and documentaries. Today the Thomas Flyer is in the National Historic Vehicle Register, still drives, and resides at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. George Schuster is in the Automotive Hall of Fame. 

Important Links:

Greatrace.com

https://automuseum.org/thomas-flyer-exhibit/

https://www.hagerty.com/media/video/the-1907-thomas-flyer-circled-the-globe-without-roads-in-169-days/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GgkXaO5x68

 

“Fuel for the Future” is presented by State Farm Insurance, Driven By America’s Automotive Trust, and Hosted by Michael May.

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