The Car That Raced Around the World?! Jay Drives the Thomas Flyer | Jay Leno’s Garage
You know, in 1907, if you wanted to prove your car was tough, you didn’t take it to the Nürburgring — you drove it 36,000 miles through Siberia with nothing but some tools, spare tires, and an unreasonable amount of confidence.
Meet the 1907 Thomas Flyer — the actual car that won the legendary 1908 New York to Paris Race, and yes, it still runs like a champ. Jay gets behind the wheel to take this 570-cubic-inch torque monster out for a spin.
💬 Featuring:
🧠 Phil MacDougall, President of the National Automobile Museum
🚗 The actual Thomas Flyer — not a replica, not a tribute. The real deal.
📍 From New York City to Paris (with a brief detour through Buffalo, NY and Siberia, and a run-in with bandits. Seriously.)
🏁 This car didn’t just beat France, Germany, and Italy — it did it with no roads, no gas stations, and oh yeah… they had to dodge Siberian wolves and bribe a French cop with a bicycle just to cross the finish line.
🤯 Teddy Roosevelt got involved. Pigeons delivered updates. One guy thought it wasn’t his car—until he found his girlfriend’s initials carved into the frame.
🛠️ And just think: it cost more than a house, and could do 70 mph in 1907. That’s like light speed back then.
💬 Jay says:
"This thing’s got more torque than most modern trucks… and more oil leaks than my first motorcycle."
"Back then, you didn’t drive the car—you wrestled it across continents!"
🎥 Watch now for a time-traveling ride you won’t forget. And don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE, unless you hate history, internal combustion, and American grit.
📍 See the Thomas Flyer in person at:
🔗 https://automuseum.org/
Shop car care and detailing supplies from Jay Leno’s Garage: https://www.lenosgarage.com/shine
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A new video every Monday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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