In my opinion, this 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35 is in the same league as Pierce’s Arrow Model 66 and Peerless Model 60. The Thomas Model 35 was one of the most expensive and powerful cars of its time. I can’t think of a car that had a larger displacement engine under the hood than the Thomas in 1907. Yes, – the aforementioned Pierce-Arrow and Peerless came later with slightly larger engines, but that was 1910 and 1912 respectively.
The 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35 was a very reliable car. This particular car won the 22,000-mile round-the-world race. Just think of those figures! Not every modern car can go that far without breaking down. And now imagine that at that time there weren’t many long, asphalt-covered highways. A significant part of the journey was through Russia! And through the least populated part of Russia.
On February 12, 1908, at the start of the race, 250,000 people gathered in Times Square. In the back seat of Thomas, driven by George Shuster, sat a correspondent from The New York Times. The crew traveled across Alaska and Russia, finishing the run in Paris at the Eiffel Tower 169 days after the start. Interestingly, in France, the American crew was stopped by police. This was due to a faulty lantern, instead of which George Shuster installed a bicycle light, on the spot. Upon returning to the U.S., George Shuster received congratulations from Teddy Roosevelt, and he received $1,000 from The New York Times and Le Matin.
Thomas cars have been out of production for a long time, but there was a time when Buffalo, NY produced some of America’s finest automobiles.
The price and value of the 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35.
In 1907 the price of a new Thomas Model 35 was $4,500. That was a lot of money. For comparison, in 1906, when Ford produced the expensive Model K, this car cost 2500 – 3000 dollars and was equipped with an in-line, six-cylinder engine with 40 horsepower. The Cadillac Model 30, which appeared in 1909, could be bought for $1,800. It was a car with a four-cylinder engine that produced 25 horsepower. Perhaps today it would be difficult to imagine that in the early 20th century, Ford produced a car more powerful and expensive than Cadillac. But for a period of time, until Henry Ford became a major shareholder in his own company and emphasized cheap but mass-produced cars, this was in fact the case.
Photo 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35.
The car that participated in the run under George Shuster was not equipped with a windshield. But other Model 35s may have been equipped with a windshield. Wooden artillery type wheel spokes were typical of cars of the time. The hood flaps are secured with leather straps. A gas cylinder was mounted on the left footrest to operate the acetylene headlights. Spare tires could be mounted on the side of the hood.
Equipment 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35.
The steering wheel on the Model 35 was mounted on the right side, which was normal for American cars of the time. The parking brake lever and transmission lever were moved outside the passenger compartment, which was also normal for those years. The klaxon pear is also moved out of the passenger compartment, as well as the klaxo itself in the form of a ram’s horn. A special searchlight with a handle is also located outside the cabin. It is mounted on a long support and also works on acetylene. This rotating light is reminiscent of the headlights used on police cars. The rim of the steering wheel is trimmed with wood, and the engine compartment partition on the interior side is also covered with wood, which emphasizes the expensive nature of the car.
Engine and specifications of 1907 Thomas Flyer Model 35.
Under the hood of the Thomas is a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 9.4 liters! Yes, – Pierce – Arrow Model 66 and Peerless Model 60 had slightly larger engines, but these cars were still 3 and 5 years away respectively, and at that time cars were developing very rapidly.
There is no gimbal transmission here. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels using two chains. There is not one chain, as in all other cars of the time, but two, which indicates reliability. The brakes, of course, are mechanical and they’re only fitted to the rear wheels.
This is an outstanding car. The Thomson Model 35 was definitely the best that money could buy in 1907. This car is impressive not only for its power, which was very high for the time, but also for its reliability, proven on a round-the-world trip.
Leave a Reply