The 1909 Ocean-to-Ocean race and the big Ford Model T cheat

<p>In June of 1909, five cars departed from New York City with one major goal in mind: Each one wanted to become the first to reach Seattle in order to be proclaimed the victor of the 1909 Ocean-to-Ocean race. There was just one problem: Ford was ready to cheat in order to win.</p><p>The Ford Model T was still a relatively new invention at this point in history, and it defied all of the contemporary logic about car construction. No one believed that a small, light car would have the endurance required to conquer thousands of miles of unpaved, unmarked terrain. The early pace of the two Fords entered in the event was shocking. </p><p>But the Ford that crossed the Seattle finish line first cheated, and the rightful winner — a car produced by a struggling Boston-based company called Shawmut — folded in the wake of the event, which meant this story has been lost to the annals of time. </p><p>This month on “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” I&#39;m joined by Pulitzer-winning journalist Eric Moskowitz, whose incredible new book “<em>The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America” </em>brings the 1909 Ocean-to-Ocean race back to life in evocative detail. </p><p>Order your copy today:</p><p>https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250282675/thehardestlongestrace/</p><p>To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: <a href="https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys"><u>https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys</u></a> </p><p>Subscribe on Substack: <a href="https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/"><u>https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/</u></a> </p><p>Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social</p><p>Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys</p><p>Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod</p><p>Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock</p><p>Order Racing with Rich Energy: <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy/"><u>https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy</u></a></p><p>Episode Bibliography: </p><p><em>The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America </em>by Eric Moskowitz</p><p><em>Coast-to-Coast Auto Races of the Early 1900s</em> by Curt McConnell</p><p><a href="https://colescollision.com/history-of-the-american-automobile/"><u>https://colescollision.com/history-of-the-american-automobile/</u></a></p><p><br></p>