Vehicle Description
In 1902, Erwin Ross Thomas created the E.R. Thomas Motor Car
Company, taking over the assets of Buffalo Automobile & Auto-Bi
Company in the process. This news was hardly a surprise to anyone
in the industry as Thomas owned both firms, and he did this purely
so he could put his name on an all-new motorcar. The first car to
wear the Thomas badge, a single-cylinder, 18 horsepower Tonneau,
appeared in 1903. Engines and output quickly grew to a 24
horsepower three-cylinder unit in 1904, and by 1905, the famous
Thomas Flyer made its first debut, with large 40 and 50 horsepower
four-cylinder engines and a variety of body styles available. With
the sudden increase in power came an equally sudden increase in
price. The Model 18 Tonneau of 1903 was offered at $1,400 while
just two years later; a 50 horsepower Flyer Limousine came in at a
massive $4,500. E.R. Thomas had an interest in going racing, so in
1905 he offered a select few clients the opportunity to purchase
the mighty, six-cylinder, fifty-horsepower model. After some
respectable showings in the grueling Vanderbilt Cup races, Thomas
achieved its greatest success - winning the New York to Paris race
of 1908 with a mechanically standard four-cylinder Flyer. The
winning Thomas Flyer still exists in "as-raced" condition and
counts as one of the most historically important motorcars in the
world. In early 1906, two veterans of Olds Motor Works - Howard E.
Coffin and Roy Chapin managed to persuade E.R. Thomas to back their
new venture, which was planning a new 40-horsepower car built in
Detroit. The cars were constructed in a purpose-built plant in
Michigan; they were shipped east to be marketed and sold by Thomas
Motor Company in Buffalo. This new car would be an ideal size to
supplement the big, prestigious 50 hp cars from Thomas while
offering the familiar levels of quality and performance that
Buffalo-built Thomas buyers expected. E.R. Thomas' control over the
process quickly began to challenge the partnership, and by 1908,
Chapin and Coffin had teamed up with Hugh Chalmers to buy out E.R.
Thomas' share and create the Chalmers-Detroit. Ultimately,
Thomas-Detroit lasted only from 1906-1908, with approximately 1,250
cars produced. This 1907 Thomas-Detroit Model C is a stunning
example and one of the very few known survivors from this
short-lived marque. Recently from an extensive collection, it has
been comprehensively restored over the past decade, with the
majority of the work done by Concours Classic Motorcars of Macedon,
New York. The early history is not known, although it is understood
that the car was owned from at least the 1950s through the 1970s by
Mr. J. Herbert Carpenter Jr. The history file shows that by the
2010s, Mr. Christopher Thomas acquired it in a partially-restored
state. He soon commissioned a fresh and complete restoration. Mr.
Thomas unfortunately passed away before the project was completed,
and it was sold via his daughter to the well-known collector Arnold
Petsche of Arlington, Texas. Petsche would complete the restoration
and retain the car until his passing in 2017. In the time that he
owned the Thomas-Detroit, he displayed it at shows including the
2016 Concours d'Elegance of Texas where it was awarded Best in
Class. Finished in a splendid color scheme with black bodywork and
contrasting green chassis and coachstripes, it remains in excellent
condition throughout. Typical for the period, the body is
constructed in wood, with brass hardware and steel fenders. The
quality of the coachwork is excellent, and the black paint finished
to a high standard. Similarly, the quality of the green color on
the chassis and wheels is excellent. The body is nicely adorned
with fine quality brass fittings and accessories, including a Gray
& Davis acetylene tank, and matching Gray & Davis headlamps,
carriage lamps, and tail lamp. The interior is trimmed in tan,
button-tufted leather which appears very fresh and shows almost no
use since the restoration was completed. Era-appropriate linoleum
lines the running boards and front floorboards. Controls and
cockpit fittings are excellent, including the period correct
Continental Motor Clock and Jones speedometer. Highly polished
woodwork features on the cowl and door caps, appearing fresh and
beautifully finished. The big 354 cubic-inch T-head four-cylinder
engine features two separate cast pairs of cylinders resting atop
an alloy crankcase. An electric starter has been incorporated for
convenience, while the rest of the engine presents in
period-correct order. Copper plumbing and brass hardware contrast
the gray-painted cylinders. While the Thomas-Flyer was one of the
mightiest cars on the road, the Thomas-Detroit was still considered
a potent car, making its power and prodigious torque at a just
1,500 RPM. This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the few
examples from this fascinating and prestigious marque. Benefiting
from a full restoration, this Thomas-Detroit is now ready for
Antique Automobile Club of America events, Horseless Carriage Club
tours, or however the next caretaker chooses to enjoy this
delightful Brass-Era touring car.