Life, 1904-04-07 · page 39 of 41
Life — April 7, 1904 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The Peerless Motor Car Company promotes their "Direct Drive Touring Cars" (priced $3,700-$6,000) by featuring an elegant illustration of "The Peerless Girl No. 1"—a fashionably dressed woman in early 1900s attire serving as the brand's mascot/spokeswoman. The ad emphasizes technical specifications (four-cylinder motors, bevel gear drive, steel frame) alongside the figure's refined appearance, appealing to affluent buyers by associating the automobile with elegance and sophistication. The offer of a free photogravure suggests premium marketing targeting upscale consumers. This represents typical early automotive advertising strategy: linking luxury cars to aspirational imagery of genteel femininity rather than emphasizing practical transportation. The "Girl No. 1" designation suggests a marketing series.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Undeniable Excellence marks every point in design,con- struction and appointments of Peerless Direct Drive Touring Cars $3,700 to $6,000 They are built to give solid comfort and to stand wear without constant attention. Four cylinder vertical motors, sliding gear transmis- sion, bevel gear drive direct on high speed— forced feed lubrication, long wheel base,- cold rolled pressed steel frame. These are only a few points of Peerless per- fection. The catalogue tells the rest. Photogra- vure of the Peerless Girl No. 1, here illustrated, size 18x28 inches, free from advertising, mailed for 10 cents. The Peerless Motor Car Co., SS Cleveland, Ohio. Poork ©, LNé Member Association Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. The Steheis Fil Nef COPYRIGNT 104 BY THE PEERLESS NOTCH CAR CO, comicbooks.com