Stevens Outdoor Advertising confirmed — S. P. Stevens and his 1911 Thomas Flyer, Mar 1974

This San Antonio Express-News feature from March 7, 1974 is the first primary-source documentation of S. P. Stevens and Stevens Outdoor Advertising Company of San Antonio found in this research. Family lore holds that Stevens painted H and H Coffee billboards early in his career before founding the outdoor-advertising firm. That firm’s existence, its San Antonio address, and its owner’s identity have been unconfirmed in primary sources until now.

The article establishes: S. P. Stevens owns Stevens Outdoor Advertising Company of San Antonio; he is an antique-car collector; he restored a 1911 Thomas Flyer (a type of car related to the winner of the 1909 New York-to-Paris Great Race) at a cost of roughly $10,000 purchase price and substantial restoration labor, resulting in a car valued at more than $125,000 and winner of three major awards at the Texas Tour in Houston. Stevens also visited the Harrah Museum in Nevada for research — consistent with the collected-guns-Americana-and-cars profile the family lore describes.

See the S. P. Stevens KB page for full hypothesis analysis. See also the companion photo-caption clip: Restored Car on Display.

Transcription

Headline: Rare Classic Touring Car Shown By S.A. Owner

A 1911 Thomas Flyer, a sister to the winner of the 1909 New York-Paris Great Race is a featured attraction at the 5th Annual International Auto Show, now in progress.

The big green touring car, valued at more than $125,000, has never been shown in San Antonio although it is owned by S. P. Stevens of Stevens Outdoor Advertising Company of San Antonio.

Stevens purchased the car two years ago for “about $10,000.” He set about having it restored to its original condition. When he bought it, the car consisted merely of a chassis, engine, wheels and frame.

In order to be as authentic as possible in the restoration, Stevens visited the famed Harrah Museum in Nevada. He filled a small notebook with statistics and took about 40 photos of their Thomas, then took the entire package to Larry Amsley in Hershey, Pa., who did the actual restoration work.

The result of Amsley’s work is one of the most accurate restorations of an antique car ever accomplished.

For example, last May Stevens entered his prize in the famed Texas Tour in Houston. The car won all three major awards on the tour including the coveted Liston Zander Award as the most desirable car, the award for best car in its class and the award for the best pre-1910 car.

For car buffs, some of the Flyer’s specifications include a 132 in. wheel base with 38 in. tires. It sports a six cylinder, T-head engine. The block is cast aluminum and the heads are made of white porcelain.

Each cylinder has three spark plugs. One is fired by a distributor and the other two are fired by magnetos. The car is shaft driven with a full floating rear axle and can travel from four to 52 m.p.h. in third gear.

For those who appreciate fine finish work all wooden parts, including the trunk and tool box, are of solid mahogany. It took the hides of nine cows to complete the leather work which includes the front and rear seats, straps for the hood and coverings for the convertible top struts.

Headlights, door handles and even the telescopic bumper are made of solid brass.

Stevens will be at the 5th Annual International Auto Show to discuss and describe his fabulous restoration.

[Sidebar: The Auto Show runs at the Convention Center Exhibit Hall, noon until 11 p.m. Saturday and noon until 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission $1.50 adults, 50 cents children under 12. ]

Source

• San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio, Tex.), 7 March 1974 (Thursday), p. 72.
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• Accessed: 2026-05-21