Life, 1905-04-20 · page 28 of 28
Life — April 20, 1905 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine (April 29, 1905). The Waltham Manufacturing Company promotes the Waltham Orient Model De Luxe touring car, priced at $2,250. The ad's central claim is that aesthetic design and quality craftsmanship justify the price, comparing it favorably to foreign cars costing $9,000-$10,000. Key selling points emphasized: an air-cooled four-cylinder engine (eliminating water cooling complications), durability, simplicity, and 35-40 mph performance. The ad also promotes cheaper models ($375-$2,000) including the "Orient-Buckboard," humorously described as so simple "a child can run it." The page illustrates both the luxury touring car (top) and the stripped-down buckboard (bottom), contrasting the product line. This represents early automotive marketing emphasizing mechanical innovation and value proposition to potential buyers in an emerging car market.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Waltham Ortent Model De Lase, Touring Car, 20 H.P. Price $2,200 THE HANDSOMEST CAR Just as style and design give value to a gown, so do they to a motor car. not run any better because it has clean, artistic lines. The car may The upholstery and the painting do not improve the motor but they give added satisfaction to the owner—particularly when they may be had in the Waltham Orient the best foreign cars at $9,000 or $10,000. De Luxe at $2,250 as against the same qualities in Analyze the Waltham Orient beginning with its outward appearance and working in to the motor—or work outward from motor to paint—you will find an ideally perfect The motor is a four-cylinder vertical tandem, positive air cooled by a powerful fan. The motor is of simple construction without delicate mechanism. It is efficient and dependable and will drive the car at 35--40 miles an hour. car. The appearance speaks for itself. Being air cooled we have no water to carry, no pumps to run, no pipes to leak or freeze—and we save 350 pounds of weight. That makes for gteater speed per horse power and takes just so much strain off of the tires. WALTHAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY General Sales Offices: 44 Broad Street, New York City Factory WALTHAM, MASS. Orient cars are the fastest for their power —the most economical to buy and the least costly to maintain. The Waltham Orient Model De Luxe is the handsomest American Car. Besides the De Luxe, there are the Models G and F at $2,000 and $1,650 respectively, and the Touring Runabout at $1,500. The $375 Orient-Buckboard compares to the De Luxe about as a yacht tender does to the yacht. It is light, strong and speedy and so simple that a child can run it. It is handier than a bicycle and costs but little more. May we send the Orient Style Book for 1905 > Members of Association of Licenses Automobile Manufacturers Orient-Backboard. Price $375 Bates Advertising Co. comicbooks.com