Judge — January 3, 1914 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Buzz Wagons: A Satirical Look at Early Automobile Features This Judge magazine page satirizes the "Buzz Wagon"—slang for an early automobile—by highlighting its innovative features through caricatured figures and demonstrations. The labeled components include: **Shock Absorber**, **Self Starter**, **Lubrication**, **Direct Drive**, and **Left-hand control**. Each illustration shows how these features work or benefit drivers. The central figure appears to be an engineer or salesman explaining the vehicle's mechanics at a desk. The smaller panels demonstrate practical applications: one shows someone on a motorcycle-like device, another depicts a racing scene labeled "Then This," suggesting the progression of automotive technology. The satire targets early cars' complexity and the marketing hype surrounding new mechanical innovations that were still novel to the general public in the early 1900s.