The World's Most Optimistic Road Trip

The Great 'Peking to Paris' Panic of 1907! On June 10, 1907, five adventurous (and slightly delusional) teams set off from Beijing on a 10,000-mile race to Paris. At a time when 'roads' were more of a suggestion than a reality, the challenge was to prove that a car could go anywhere. The prize? A single magnum of Mumm champagne. The Three-Wheeled Tragedy: One contestant, Auguste Pons, entered a three-wheeled 'Contal' cycle-car that looked like a motorized lawn chair. It immediately sank into the Gobi Desert, and he had to walk back to Peking while the desert literally swallowed his car. The Ultimate Flex: The winner, Prince Scipione Borghese, was so far ahead that he took a 1,000-mile detour to St. Petersburg for a fancy dinner party, yet still arrived in Paris three weeks before anyone else. Oxen Power: Because gas stations didn't exist in the wilderness, cars were often towed through mud and mountains by teams of literal oxen. It remains one of the most absurd tests of endurance in history, proving that with enough grit—and a thirst for bubbly—you can conquer the world!