They were the first company in the U.S. to create motorized bicycles, something that caught on around 100 years later. In 1906, they came up with a car that was the first convertible with a hardtop shell. I believe their cars looked much better than Henry Ford's first vehicles like his Model T, but the problem was that Thomas' cars were twice as expensive as Ford's. Thomas wanted to create a market for luxury vehicles which worked, but he couldn't turn the sales volume the Ford Motor Company was doing so he had a small market share.
The Thomas Motor company produced three-wheeled motorcycles which are now very popular. They created a motorcycle that could hold three riders. In 1905, they set a record with one of their motorcycles by crossing the U.S. in 48 days. It sounds like a long time but remember back then the horsepower in motorized vehicles was a fraction of what is available today. My Harley could easily travel 10 times faster than motorcycles back then. In 1908, they won the first and only around-the-world automobile race.
When WWI came along, luxury vehicles were a bust so the E.R. Motor Company shut down while Ford was able to still sell his inexpensive cars and he also had some government contracts for the war effort, which kept his manufacturing operation booming.
Edwin Thomas was an amazing man from his inventions all the way up to how he set up production. He wasn't just a dreamer, he was a man who knew how to get things done. Thomas doesn't get the credit I think he's due because at the time everyone was talking about the brilliance of Henry Ford, but the fact is, Edwin Thomas was one of our greatest.