This car was the first to finish in the 1908 New York to Paris auto race. The Protos team was awarded second place following a time penalty. The race began at Times Square and ran across the US to Seattle, by boat to Vladivostok, then across Asia and Europe to finish in Paris. Only three of the six teams finished. Protos finished in five and a half months.

One of the first cars to be truly aerodynamic, the Rumpler Tropfenwagen had a coefficient of drag better than most modern cars.