At first, E. R. Thomas had no intention of entering one of his cars in The Great Race of 1908 - he didn't build his dependable automobiles for that purpose. But just three days before the race he took one of the cars, a 1907 model Thomas Flyer Model 60, from his showroom floor and entered it in the 21,000-mile race. Competing against many cars specially built for the race, the Flyer held together over punishing terrain to win! It was truly an amazing accomplishment for a stock American passenger car.

FM seems to hold the patent on making these Brass Age automobiles in 1:24 scale and the Thomas Flyer is no exception. All the fine detail on the engine, chassis and body is captured perfectly. The brass parts are done up in gleaming gold overlay. The steering wheel turns the front wheels, a leather strap holds down the hood and even the double chain drive moves when you rotate the wheels. Lately, FM seems to include lots of little extras with its models in a "theme" format. This image is decked out in its Great Race regalia with ropes, board fenders (for traction when needed in the mud), five spares (each one with a different tread pattern), two bags of gear, a lantern and an American flag (with stars correct to the time period) to mount at the rear of the model. "Thomas Flyer" and "New York to Paris" are even painted on the sides. The whole package looks great on display - a fun way to portray a piece of history.

The 1907 Thomas Flyer image from FM is a tribute to American engineering at the dawn of the Automotive Age, when this country was beginning to flex its worldwide muscles. The fact that E. R. Thomas built cars for only 12 years only serves to underline the pioneering, engineering and entrepreneurial capability of America's citizens. The issue price is $120.

-Tom Pine