The 1908 Garfield Tea Syrup New York to Paris Trade Card Set is one of the earliest American auto racing card issues ever produced.
Issued in 1908 by the Garfield Tea Company of Brooklyn, New York, this promotional set consists of six trade cards commemorating the legendary New York to Paris Automobile Race. The cards measure approximately 3 7/16″ x 5 1/4″ and feature black-and-white illustrations on the front. All six cards share the same back, which contains advertising text for Garfield’s Tea Syrup and other company products.
Of the six cards, four depict the competing teams and their cars (the American Thomas Flyer, French De Dion, German Protos, and Italian Zust), while the other two show scenes from the starting point in Times Square, New York. There are no action shots from the race itself.
These cards are considered scarce but not extremely rare. They turn up occasionally in the collecting market, though nice condition examples can be challenging to find due to their age and size. The set remains highly desirable among early automotive and pre-war racing collectors, as it documents one of the greatest endurance races in history — the 22,000-mile New York to Paris journey that was eventually won by the American Thomas Flyer.
