1910 Thomas Flyer K6-70

Erwin Ross (E. R.) Thomas transitioned from a bicycle business to manufacturing automobiles during the early 1900s, following a similar path taken by many other pioneering contemporaries of the era. He was the managing director for H. A. Lozier & Co. during the 1890s, a company that produced the Cleveland bicycles. After leaving Lozier, he took over the Buffalo Automobile and Auto-Bi company, which was known for its production of bicycles and motorcycle engines. The company's name was changed in 1900 to Thomas Auto-Bi, and within a year, E.R. Thomas claimed to build more air-cooled motors than anyone else. They would produce cars in Buffalo, New York, from 1903 to 1918, with automobile racing a big contributor to the company's success.

The first Thomas automobiles were introduced in 1903. They were mid-priced, small runabouts resting on a 78-inch wheelbase chassis powered by a single-cylinder engine offering approximately eight horsepower. It used a three-speed sliding gear transmission, roller bearing axles, and chain drive. The following year introduced a three-cylinder model dubbed the 'Flyer.' While the previous model had an unconventional sloping hood design covering a gilled-tube radiator, the Flyer embraced a more common design and configuration. The price tag of the Flyer was (circa) twice the cost of the preceding model. An even more expensive followed in 1905, and the large four-cylinder car was called the Thomas Flyer which would quickly gain notoriety for being one of the faster and more flamboyant Touring cars of its era. They wore bright colors and were adorned with lavish ornate brass accessories. The 1907 sales catalogue boasted 'You can't go by a Thomas Flyer, so go buy one!'

The car and company became notorious for winning the most formidable endurance race of all time - the 1908 New York to Paris Race with Geroge Schuster and Montague Roberts traversing the 13,341-mile distance in 171 days. The 1908 Le Matin-sponsored 'The Great Race' route began in New York in the dead of winter and cross the United States to San Francisco. Participants then traveled by ship to Alaska, and across the Bering Strait, either by ship or by ice to Siberia. To be certain that the Yukon and the Bering Strait would be covered in ice, the race purposely began in the winter. Many of the roads and dirt-covered trails had never been traveled by a motorcar.

The Thomas Flyer was a last-minute decision made by E.R. Thomas and was entered just three days prior to the start of the race. A stock 1907 model was selected from the factory lot, and when it rolled into Paris 171 days after the start of the race, its position in history was cemented forever.

As the 1900s were coming to a close and following the trend of many other luxury manufacturers, Thomas embraced larger-cylinder engines. Their four-cylinder engine was given two extra cylinders and enlarged the bore and stroke to 5.5 inches resulting in a 12.9-liter displacement size and 70 horsepower output. At this point, this was by far the largest engine available and remains one of the largest engines ever to be fitted to an American production automobile.

This new six-cylinder model was designated the Modl K or 6-70 in reference to its number of cylinders and horsepower output. Body styles included a Seven Passenger Touring, 'Tourabout' or 'Flyabout,' with prices in the $6,000 neighborhood. The 140-inch wheelbase was equally imposing as the engine and was among the largest platforms offered by an American company. With a four-speed transmission, high revving engine with a broad power band, and company lineage of traveling around the world faster than anyone, the Model K ranked among the most automobiles on the road. Sales literature claimed the 1909 Thomas was the most powerful, complete, and luxurious stock car made.

The Model K of 1909 was one of four models offered by Thomas. Production of the Thomas Flyer peaked in 1906 and fell to 913 units in 1910 when staff salaries were reduced. E.R. Thomas never learned to drive a car and sold his interest in the company. Ultimately, the company would go into receivership on August 29th, 1912. Its assets were purchased at auction, and the company survived for a few more years, with catalog cars through 1916 and a few additional examples built on request through as late as 1918 or possibly 1919.

The 1910 Thomas model lineup included the four-cylinder Model R resting on a 123-inch wheelbase platform and selling in the low-$4,000 range for the Limousine, Brougha, and Town Car. The Model M used a 125-inch wheelbase, and its six-cylinder engine produced 43 horsepower, approximately 15 more horsepower than the Model R. Four catalog bodies were offered with prices that ranged from $3,400 for the Tourabout to $5,500 for the Landaulet. The Model F was a four-cylinder, 60-horsepower model with a 127-inch wheelbase and priced at $4,500 to $6,000. The body styles offered were similar - albeit larger with some having additional seating capacity - to the Model M and included a Touring, Tourabout, Flyabout (not available on the Model M), Limousine, and Landaulet. The Model K was the largest, most powerful, and most expensive model in the lineup with prices that exceeded $6,000. It used a 140-inch wheelbase platform, and its six-cylinder T-head engine breathing through a single carburetor produced 70 horsepower. It was paired with a four-speed manual transmission with chain final drive and two-wheel brakes. The suspension relied on semi-elliptic leaf springs. The body styles were the same as the Model F, but with a wheelbase that was over a foot longer, the interiors were more luxurious and comfortable.

Although the company's existence was brief, it will forever be remembered for the victory at the New York to Paris Race and for the mighty Model K.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022