RACE OF THE CENTURY

17men,6cars,anda21,000-mileraceacross3continentsOnthemorningofFebruary12,1908,sixcarsfromfourdifferentcountrieslinedupinTimesSquare,surroundedbyafrenziedcrowd.ThemenwhocompetedintheNewYorktoParisautoracewereaninternationalrosterofpersonalities:acharismaticNorwegianoutdoorsman,awittyFrenchnobleman,apairofItaliansophisticates,anaristocraticGermanarmyofficer,andacrankymechanicfromBuffalo,NewYork.Atatimewhenmostpeoplehadneverseenanautomobile,theseadventurousmensettheircourseovermountainranges,throughArcticfreeze,anddesertheat.Therewerenogasstations,nogarages,andnoreplacementpartsincaseofemergency.Twomenrosetothetop.Ober-lieutenantHansKoeppen,arisingofficerinthePrussianarmy,ledtheGermanteamintheircanvas-topped40-horsepowerProtos.Hisamiablepersonalitybeliedacoreofsheerdetermination,andbytherace’send,hehadwontherespectofevenhistoughestcritics.HiscounterpartontheU.S.teamwasGeorgeSchuster,ablue-collarmechanicwholedtheAmericansintheirlightweight60-horsepowerThomasFlyer.Aborncompetitor,SchusterbattledKoeppenuntiltheveryend.UltimatelytheGermanandtheAmericanwouldbeleftaloneintherace,fightingtheelements,exhaustion,andeachotheruntilthewinningcar’sgloriousentranceintoParis,onJuly30,1908.