The Longest Race in History From New York to Paris
The Great Race of 1908
Mr. Colgate Hoyt, a wealthy railroad financier and businessman in the banking industry, looked at the time to see that it was 11 a.m. and yet, New York City’s mayor, George B. McClellan Jr., was not present.
Hoyt grumbled.
Mayor McClellan was supposed to be here several minutes before 11 but once again managed to be conventionally late.
Perhaps on certain days being late was of less concern but not today.
Hoyt stood in Times Square on the twelfth of February at 43rd Street and 7th Avenue, amidst a typical brisk winter’s day that christened the metropolis with a light snowfall. But today was anything but typical, as Hoyt stood amidst a crowd of over 250,000 people who packed themselves tightly alongside the Manhattan streets to witness one of the most incredible feats to be undertaken in automobile history about to begin.
On the street, six cars of four different nationalities were lined up side-by-side at an uncomfortably close distance. In total, the lineup had a total of seventeen men that comprised of three French teams, one…
