Comments on: Paris or Bust: The Great New York-to-Paris Auto Race of 1908 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/ History with all the interesting bits left in Tue, 21 May 2013 02:49:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Mike http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1956 Mike Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:35:21 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1956 Good background story which fills in a lot of gaps not easily found elesewhere. Does anyone know what happened to the De Dion and other retired cars? Thanks. Good background story which fills in a lot of gaps not easily found elesewhere. Does anyone know what happened to the De Dion and other retired cars? Thanks.

]]> By: Jeff Mahl http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1612 Jeff Mahl Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:44:03 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1612 Well done article! With stories I heard as a boy growing up from my Great-grandfather George Schuster, it is still hard to believe that three of the starting autos (Flyer, Protos, and Zust) actually made it around the world to Paris. This at a time when many according to an editorial from the 1908 London Daily Mail considered "the motor car, after a woman, as the most fragile and capricious thing on earth". George with the Flyer also became the first person to ever drive an auto across America in the winter, making the trip in a record time of 41 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. With the successful finish of the race in Paris, the automobile went from a novelty for the amusement of the wealthy to a viable form of transportation. Each of the teams that finished exhibited incredible tenacity and ingenuity during the epic race. For his efforts in early automotive history, George Schuster was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on October 12, 2010. Well done article! With stories I heard as a boy growing up from my Great-grandfather George Schuster, it is still hard to believe that three of the starting autos (Flyer, Protos, and Zust) actually made it around the world to Paris. This at a time when many according to an editorial from the 1908 London Daily Mail considered “the motor car, after a woman, as the most fragile and capricious thing on earth”.

George with the Flyer also became the first person to ever drive an auto across America in the winter, making the trip in a record time of 41 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. With the successful finish of the race in Paris, the automobile went from a novelty for the amusement of the wealthy to a viable form of transportation.

Each of the teams that finished exhibited incredible tenacity and ingenuity during the epic race. For his efforts in early automotive history, George Schuster was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on October 12, 2010.

]]> By: WillRevenge http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1584 WillRevenge Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:34:56 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1584 This is an absolute gem of a story—thank you! This is an absolute gem of a story—thank you!

]]> By: Chris http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1578 Chris Sun, 11 Mar 2012 03:46:20 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1578 After watching Blake Edward's 1965 film "The Great Race" recently, I was curious to see if it was at all based on actual events. Must admit I'm a little disappointed there appears to be no historical basis for the great Pottsdorf Pie Fight. After watching Blake Edward’s 1965 film “The Great Race” recently, I was curious to see if it was at all based on actual events. Must admit I’m a little disappointed there appears to be no historical basis for the great Pottsdorf Pie Fight.

]]> By: Maurice O'Sullivan Aherne http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1573 Maurice O'Sullivan Aherne Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:53:57 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1573 type error on 'The' Babyboomers albeit later b.1955-make silly mistakes type error on ‘The’

Babyboomers albeit later b.1955-make silly mistakes

]]> By: Maurice O'Sullivan Aherne http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1572 Maurice O'Sullivan Aherne Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:49:03 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1572 Impressive, in a word. Ihe generation/s of our great grandparents; grandparents; and indeed, parents, were 'special'. Aherne. mosaherne.wordpress.com Impressive, in a word. Ihe generation/s of our great grandparents; grandparents; and indeed, parents, were ‘special’.

Aherne.

mosaherne.wordpress.com

]]> By: Deborah Wood http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1571 Deborah Wood Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:13:53 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1571 Only problem I have with your comment about just money being involved with the whiskey runners to drive n thta being how Nascar started, well my father ran whiskey n just loved to drive fast so got involved for the of winning the race n seeing who could drive the best, no real money involved then to speak of it was a little later that big came along, so I disagree with you on that. Only problem I have with your comment about just money being involved with the whiskey runners to drive n thta being how Nascar started, well my father ran whiskey n just loved to drive fast so got involved for the of winning the race n seeing who could drive the best, no real money involved then to speak of it was a little later that big came along, so I disagree with you on that.

]]> By: Jeff Sherry http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1566 Jeff Sherry Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:21:02 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1566 Great piece of history and no Leslie Special. Great piece of history and no Leslie Special.

]]> By: Michael Hamm http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/paris-or-bust-the-great-new-york-to-paris-auto-race-of-1908/#comment-1565 Michael Hamm Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:51:54 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/?p=5423#comment-1565 This fabulous adventure story is told in The Greatest Auto Race on Earth documentary www.thegreatestautorace.com . The Thomas Flyer, German Protos, and a partial Italian Zust were built to exact standards and acted as the "picture vehicles" in this film. With thousands of never before seen photos and cutting edge CGI, the story of these brave men is told. Winner of many international awards, we researched the story for 8 years, with two years of filming. This fabulous adventure story is told in The Greatest Auto Race on Earth documentary http://www.thegreatestautorace.com . The Thomas Flyer, German Protos, and a partial Italian Zust were built to exact standards and acted as the “picture vehicles” in this film. With thousands of never before seen photos and cutting edge CGI, the story of these brave men is told. Winner of many international awards, we researched the story for 8 years, with two years of filming.

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