1909 Thomas Flyer K6-70

The Thomas, named after the firm's founder Edwin Ross Thomas, actually began as the Buffalo Automobile in 1902. It received a name change the following year once E.R. Thomas was sure the cars merited carrying his name.

Like so many of his pioneering contemporaries, Mr. Thomas was in the bicycle business prior to manufacturing automobiles. During the 1890s, he was the managing director for H. A. Lozier & Co., which produced the famous Cleveland bicycle. He later left Lozier to take over the Buffalo Automobile and Auto-Bi Company, which was known for its production of bicycles and motorcycle engines. In 1900 E. R. changed the company name to Thomas Auto-Bi, and by 1901 Thomas claimed to build more air-cooled motors than anyone else.

In 1903, the first Thomas automobiles were introduced. They were small runabouts described in the catalog as the happy medium between the cheaper and more expensive cars. By 1905 the Thomas Company was building bigger four-cylinder cars dubbed 'Thomas Flyers.' His cars were often finished in bright colors and loaded with many ornate brass accessories. The 1907 sales catalogue boasted, 'You can't go by a Thomas Flyer, so go buy one!'

In 1908, a stock Thomas Flyer gained worldwide acclaim for winning the famed 'New York to Paris Race' when it circled the globe in 171 days. Car sales, which had always been good among the wealthy, increased greatly until E.R. Thomas sold the firm in 1911.

Notably, it was said that Thomas died without ever learning to drive!

The Great Race, sponsored by Le Matin, went from New York in the dead of winter, across the United States, to San Francisco. Travels continued aboard a 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 dirt-covered trails had never been traveled by a motorcar.

The decision for a Thomas automobile to contest the race was a last-minute decision. It was made three days prior to the start. A stock 1907 model was selected from the factory lot. 13,341 miles and 171 days later, the victorious Thomas rolled into Paris and forever cemented its place in history.

As the 1910s were coming to a close, Thomas moved into the six-cylinder territory. Thomas simply extended their existing four with two extra cylinders. The large 5.5-inch bore resulted in a 12.9-liter displacement and produced more than 70 horsepower. At this point in history, this was by far the largest engine available and remains one of the largest engines ever to be fitted to an American production automobile.

The new 'six' was given the designation Model K or 6-70, and Thomas priced it at $6,000 in Touring form, with options of Seven Passenger Touring, 'Tourabout' or 'Flyabout.' The Flyabout was by far the most sporting and effectively a Thomas branding for a 'Toy Tonneau.'

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019