Life, 1904-09-22 · page 20 of 20
Life — September 22, 1904 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon or satire, but a straightforward **automobile advertisement** from *Life* magazine (September 29, 1904). The Winton Motor Carriage Company advertises their "Bullet" racing cars by highlighting recent speed records set in Cleveland. Two drivers—Earl H. Kiser and Chas. Gorndt—achieved world records for lightweight vehicles (under 1800 pounds) in consecutive days, with Gorndt's time of 58 4-5 seconds notably beating Kiser's earlier record. The advertisement's key selling point: neither driver had previous racing experience with Wintons, yet both succeeded. This suggests the vehicle is user-friendly and reliable—"anybody can drive the WINTON successfully." The ad emphasizes ease of operation, speed, power, and durability while listing prices ($2500-$2300) and distribution networks across major American cities plus London, positioning Winton as a premium American automotive manufacturer.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
245 WORLD’S RECORD 22.3 Made on the WINTON Bullet No. 2, by Earl H. Kiser, at Cleveland, August 22, 1904. World’s Record for cars weighing less than 1800 pounds, reduced to 58 4-5 seconds on the WINTON Bullet No. 3, by Chas. Gorndt, at Cleveland, August 23, 1904. Neither man had ever before driven a WINTON ina race. Anybody can drive the WINTON successfully, because it is easily operated, fast, powerful, durable. $2500 completely equipped; $2300 without top; f. 0. b. Cleveland. Prompt Delivery. Agencies Everywhere. THE WINTON MOTOR CARRIAGE CO. MEMBER A. L. A. M. CLEVELAND, OHIO, U. S. A. New York Boston Philadelphia Chicago London comicbooks.com