Pre-War Madness: Owning and Racing a 10-Liter “Car” from 1913

My buddy Francois likes interesting cars. We first met in Germany during the Nurburgring 24 Hours race. He approached me in the hallway of a hotel next to the track, introduced himself, and we started to chat over a beer. We met up again the next day for another beer (or three) and to talk about cars. He was young, friendly, and clearly knew all about subject matter of which he spoke. Fast forward over the years, Francois and I remain in touch, and he occasionally sends me pictures or videos of his latest acquisition. A year or two ago, the pictures and videos arrived of his craziest purchase yet.

The 1913 Theophile Scheider Aero belongs to the Edwardian Era. This period began before the start of World War I, and vehicles devoted to finding higher and higher speeds were given larger and larger engines. You know the Beast of Turin? That’s an Edwardian legend. Have you ever heard of the Darracq 200hp? It’s a bit of plywood with four wheels and a 25.4-liter engine. Apparently, it’s capable of going over 120 mph.

However, let’s return to the 1913 TS Aero, as that’s the car my buddy Francois purchased and promptly drove from the UK back to his home in mainland Europe. He lives for automotive adventures like that, so I was never shocked at this purchase. Instead, I watch from a continent away with idiotic glee and a slight bit of jealousy—only slight, as his 10-liter TS Aero certainly seems terrifying.

Not terrifying to the Count, though, because in the last year and a half, he’s started to race the damn thing.