NEW YORK-PARIS
The race of the Century, 1908.

Six competitors prepare themselves to dispute the most audacious adventure - the New York-Paris race, crossing from America to Asia through the ice-covered Strait of Bhering in winter: the german PROTOS, the american Thomas, the italian Bruxia-Züst and the french De Dion-Bouton, Motobloc and Sizaire-Naudin.

Six competitors prepare themselves to dispute the most audacious adventure - the New York-Paris race, crossing from America to Asia through the ice-covered Strait of Bhering in winter: the german PROTOS, the american Thomas, the italian Bruxia-Züst and the french De Dion-Bouton, Motobloc and Sizaire-Naudin.

Sponsored by Kaiser Wilhelm II, the PROTOS was the largest of the cars, with a military crew. 200 thousand spectators, in february 12, high winter, watch the beginning of the race.

The first change of route occurs in Pocatello, West Coast of the United States: the organizers cancelled Canada due to bad weather conditions. The cars proceeded to San Francisco, where they would take the boat to Valdez, in Alaska. Running in front of the others, only the Thomas embarks. The remaining awaited in San Francisco the reformulation of the course. This mishap allows the PROTOS, who was about to abandon the race, to be readmited, but for the french Motobloc and Sizaire-Naudin, the race was over.

The PROTOS does not participate of the Japan route, having preferred to follow by boat to Vladivostok, in Siberia, where a team of mechanics reconstructs completely the car. Not having gone through Japan, and with the penalties suffered in the United States, PROTOS has a disadvantage of 30 days with the american Thomas. In the meantime, the french De Dion-Bouton is withdrawn from the competition and delivered to its new proprietor, a chinese magnate.

From Vladivostok on, PROTOS dominated the race, arriving in Paris in July, 26, 165 days after having left New York. The organizers, although, gave the victory to the american Thomas, that arrived four days later - with the theoretical advantage of 26 days in relation to the PROTOS.

The italian Bruxia-Züst completed the 21.346 Km of the race, after its pilots had to endure the natural obstacles, sickness, the accusation of espionage and even prison.