Vanderbilt Cup Races

The history and stories involving the Thomas Flyer in the 1908 New York To Paris Race are seemingly endless. To summarize why this car matters can be simply said with three facts.

The Thomas Flyer was the only American car that competed in the race. 

The original race route had the racers travel to Alaska and cross over frozen waters into Russia. The Thomas Flyer followed the roads to Alaska, only to discover that the water was not frozen enough to cross over to Russia. Then, they had to return to California to catch a boat to continue the race.

When the Thomas Flyer was about to finish and complete the race in Pairs France, the car only had one headlight and was denied access to the French roads. A passerby on a bicycle allowed the Thomas Flyer team to strap their bike onto the Thomas Flyer since the bike had a headlamp. This quick ack of thinking and kindness of a stranger allowed the car to be permitted access into Pairs France. - Allowing the team to be the first into Pairs and win the race. 

Austin Clark purchased the 1907 Thomas Flyer for $3,000 in 1948. In this undated photo Austin Clark, his wife and daughter, are sitting in the Thomas Flyer with Montague Roberts, one of the winning drivers of the 1908 New York to Paris Race.

We recently found another undated clipping in our archives. This newspaper clipping shows the Thomas Flyer with Henry Austin Clark in the center of the image. 

Until now, and thanks to Richard Weir, we have never seen a photo that shows the display of the iconic but worn-out 1907 Thomas Flyer while it was on display at the Long Island Automotive Museum. This display featured multiple artifacts on the walls around the car as well as the ever-recognizable green identification sign that helped visitors of the museum to learn what the year and make of each vehicle on display. 

On the left-hand side of the display were two Peter Helck illustrations that showcased the Thomas Flyer during the New York To Pairs Race. 

One of the Peter Helck illustrations. This is the illustration is seen in the upper corner on the left in the closeup above. 

Close-up of the globe display banner behind the Thomas Flyer, we see images of the Thomas Flyer's progression during the New York To Pairs Race. This display helped museum visitors understand how long and eventful the race around the world was for this historic car. 

Here, we can see the overall sad shape of the Thomas Flyer. Austin Clark found it in this condition and did not want to restore it to preserve its originality. 

In this close up, we also see half of an information display bord that had a cover of LIFE magazine and some additional photographs of the Thomas Flyer during the New York To Pairs Race. 

The final close up here shows a better look at the iconic green information sign as well as a map race route in the backseat of the Thomas Flyer. 

You might ask yourself, "Where is this historic race car today?" Well, I'm happy to say it is still around and in a worthy home. You can visit the Thomas Flyer at the Harrah's Automobile Collection in Reno, Nevada.

Harrah's has  restored the car since purchasing it from Clark. Once the museum completed the restoration of the Thomas Flyer, they gave its worthy dust and grit by driving the car around in the Nevada desert to make it look as if it was racing once again in the 1908 New York To Pairs Race.

Here is the reverse side of the postcard above. It talks about the history of the Thomas Flyer and gives credit to the car's previous caretaker - Henry Austin Clark Jr. 

Stay tuned for more articles that discuss the Long Island Automotive Museum photos from the Richard Weir Collection. If you missed part one, click here.