T Flyer

Three items convinced Great Gramp of the authenticity in the rusting hulk Bill Harrah had acquired. As the Harrah crew disassembled the Flyer piece by piece George noticed three things. A crack in the frame he repaired in Siberia with a chunk of Trans-Siberian locomotive iron. The iron was gone, but the holes he had hand drilled to attach the fish-plate remained in the frame. The initials "MB" which George saw carved by the carpenter in the wooden seat frame, as the 4th seat was installed for the NYT reporter. The original Flyer configuration was 3 seats. "MB" stood for Minnie Byers, the carpenter's girlfriend. The final evidence was the clutch repair Great Gramp made just south of Moscow. George at that point told Bill it was the car he drove to victory for the US. You can imagine Bill's reaction upon hearing that confirmation! The attention to detail in the authentic restoration is remarkable, and considered one of the most complex ever done. Bill even had Walt Disney artist complete the final stages, carving initials in the refinished work to match photos taken in Paris. The mud you see today on the spokes is Disney mud... The HVA video does a great job in showing more about the restoration process.

Interesting questions, and as for the Corvette it is designed to run on 6 fuels (including propane, butane, gasoline, diesel, benzene, kerosene). While in Russia, we even ran it on pure Vodka getting better mileage than on gasoline. We tasted the Vodka prior to pouring it into the tank, to be sure it was suitable for the car... The 1907 Thomas Model 35 was selected right off the Buffalo factory lot (brand new), with no special preparation as the other competitors had done. It was shipped by rail to NYC, and stored at the Houpt dealership until the start on FEB 12. The Thomas boasted 60hp and cost $4000 (approx. $100,000 today). The Flyer engine still stands as the largest auto production 4cyl engine ever built, at 571.3 cu. inch (9.3 liters). The question as to what is it like to be with the Flyer? I was very fortunate over the years to drive and ride in it, as well as meet Bill Harrah on several occasions. Bill and Great Gramp became good friends, beyond their shared interest in the Thomas. Bill as many of you know, was a real gentleman and came to Springville to visit George especially in his later years. I've also told the story of the Race from the driver's seat of the Flyer at several events including the Amelia Coucours, and the HCCA 75th Anniversary celebration. Sharing the epic adventure just as I heard it growing up from Great Gramp, while at the wheel of the Thomas is as exciting for me as it is for the audience! Mention was made above that this story takes on a "life of its own", and everyone in the room could feel it....

Walt, you are correct as drivers today think changing a tire is an ordeal... The next time you get the snowblower out to clear your driveway, consider what drivers faced in 1908. This audio clip is George (in his own words) describing winter driving at the turn of the last century. As for taking a spin in the Flyer, I think there would be a long list wanting to experience the thrill. Here's a shot of the 1907 Flyer next to a 2007 Corvette taken in Reno, when the Museum brought the Thomas out as our group journeyed along the original route from NYC to Paris in 2011. I was climbing out of the Flyer (which led the way from the Museum to the Reno city line), to the Corvette. I felt like Marty McFly in the movie classic "Back to the Future"! One hundred years of automotive technology in a single step....

One question I'm often asked is what was driving like in 1908? Certainly constant mechanical issues were part of the experience, but the lack of roads was the greatest issue. A prime reason most automobile owners put their cars in storage for the winter, rather than fight the snow and mud. In 1913 (just 5 years after the 1908 Race) the Lincoln Highway was opened as the first transcontinental road in the US. Another question is what did the Flyer sound like? Jeff

Paul, the Flyer weighed more than 5,000 pounds equipped for the Race. It was the most powerful of the entries, and capable of 60 mph on good roads. Of note, there was less than 150 miles of paved roads in the US at that time. There are additional photos, books and DVDs available on the website: TheGreatAutoRace.com I will be telling the story of Great Gramp's involvement in the 1906, 07 and 09 Glidden Tours at the 2021 Glidden in September. George became friends with Ransom Olds, Percy Pierce and of course Charles Glidden along with other notables during those events. It was an incredible time in the early days of the automobile. Prior to the 1908 Race, the only reliable means of land transportation were the horse or locomotive. After the Race, the "horseless carriage" became much more widely accepted around the world. It took men of determination with a very strong "Anything is Possible" attitude to launch a new era in transportation...

A great discussion about an event which changed automotive history, especially seeing so many old friends in the thread! HVA produced an excellent video which tells the story of the Flyer during the Race, and the amazing restoration by Bill Harrah. It was produced when the Thomas was inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register #12. There was a bit of an argument when George authenticated the Flyer. Harrah's staff wanted to restore it to new car condition, just like they had done with the other 700+ cars Bill had in his collection at that time. Great Gramp said that would be a huge mistake, as the Flyer deserved to be restored to the condition it won the Race at the Eiffel Tower, not the condition it started the Race in Times Square. Bill took George's advice and made an exception to his restoration policy for the Thomas. I think anyone who has seen the Flyer as it looks today is thankful for the final decision.... As for the lack of American participation in the Race, even Henry Ford and Ransom Olds said such an undertaking was impossible. No automobile had ever crossed the US in winter, much less driven around the globe. It's especially fitting that George Schuster was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, and now stands next to Ford and Olds who said it couldn't be done.... The National Automobile Museum does a superb job in exhibiting the Flyer. There is also a brand new Heritage Building exhibit in George's hometown of Springville, NY. It features a life sized recreation of the Schuster Dodge Bros. dealership, which he operated after his time with Thomas and Pierce Arrow. If you're in the WNY area, it's well worth a visit! Jeff Mahl