Life, 1903-04-02 · page 25 of 36
Life — April 2, 1903 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **no cartoons or satire**—it is purely **automobile advertising** from an early automotive era (approximately 1900s-1910s based on vehicle designs and prices). Four car manufacturers advertise their products: 1. **Oldsmobile** ($650) - positioned as "The Best Thing on Wheels" 2. **Darracq** - emphasizing record-holding performance 3. **Haynes-Apperson** - stressing endurance contest victories and reliability ("stock machines") 4. **Pierce** (George N. Pierce Co.) - marketing a 62-horsepower motorette for physicians The **satire is subtle but present**: each manufacturer claims superiority through competitive records and contests. The humor for modern readers lies in seeing how seriously early automakers took these competitions—much like today's tech companies. The "Ideal Physician's Automobile" pitch is particularly quaint, marketing a specific vehicle type to a professional demographic. These ads reflect the nascent automotive industry's competitive obsession with proving reliability through endurance racing, a major selling point when automobiles were still novel, unreliable machines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Bot Price $650.00 There are Oldsmobile agevoles In every State and in all the larger cities. Write us for an illustrated book or call on your local agent Olds Motor Works, _ vept.s. Detroit, Mich. DARRACG CARS HOLD MORE RECORDS THAN ANY OTHER MAKE IN THE WORLD Twenty boreepower 193 DARRACQ, with top and tonneau detachable, He lutricatlon—complte throttle contro!matarts from the seat, % 9 10, 12 te ‘ations inmare latest styles and tmmediate delivery. See our business delivery wagons, Circulars (ree, AMERICAN DARRACQ AUTOMOBILE CO. Controlled by F. A. LA ROCHE COMPANY leveland Roadster 652-664 Hudson Street ath Street NEW YORK Chicago Branch: 502-504 Wabash Avenue Eastern Agents for t Branch, The only one that always won The HAYNES-APPERSON Won Every Endurance Contest Held in America, Every Contest or Race Ever Entered, More Kecords Than Any Other fade in the United States, and was the Only Gasolene Car that Ran the Contest from New York to Boston and tack Without Repairs or Adjustments OF ANY KIND SURREY, 12 4.P., $1800, TOP, AND FRONT MEADLIGHT EXTRA '7 Records and Awards all Earned by Stock Machines. The Machine you Buy is the one that Makes the Records ow wach a lone reeord of prizes won hy stock machines By ve ann ao itr aches UPonyrbare ear be rahe cate F Catalogue and the Little Rook.” Surrey, $1800—Phaeton, $1500—Runabout, $1200—Tonneau, $2400 rged to visit our factory, where every detad of Haynes-Apperson ruperiority can be seen derstood HAYNES.. ‘APPER SON CO., Kokomo, Ind., U.S. A. feat makers of motor cars (n America . Eastern Repre-entatives: Drootlyn Automo: pew Yorr location to be announced. Satienal THE ACME of Simplicity and Elegance Made to RUN ALL the Time, Under All Con- ditions of Roads and Weather. Unequaled tor Durability and Comfort. 62 Horse-Power Pierce Stanhope Motorette. GEO. N. PIERCE CO. ®2fFAto,".". Pierce Cycles24 Arrow Motor Cars CATALOGUES FREE ON APPLICATION. comicbooks.com