Life, 1906-09-06 · page 40 of 40
Life — September 6, 1906 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine (September 6, 1903). The Pierce Great Arrow Suburban is presented as a luxury vehicle combining city carriage comfort with country touring capability, priced at $5,000-$6,000 (substantial sums in 1903). The advertisement emphasizes the car's reliability, citing its performance in the Glidden Tours (early automotive reliability competitions). It appeals to wealthy consumers seeking dual functionality in a single vehicle. The only visual element is a technical side-view illustration of the car itself, showing its enclosed cabin and mechanical components. There is no political satire, caricature, or joke—Life magazine in this era was primarily a publication of illustrated humor and commentary, but this particular page is purely commercial advertising from the George N. Pierce Company of Buffalo, New York.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Pierce Great Arrow Suburban Four Cylinder. 28-32 H. P., $5,000; 40-45 H. P., $6,000 The wants of the normal automobile owner can be summed up in two items: A carriage for the city, a touring car for the country. The Pierce Suburban is the union of these two items in one car. The Chassis is the Pierce Great Arrow Chassis built most carefully to meet American conditions. The Suburban offers the luxury of good carnage making with the service of good motor making. The Pierce Great Arrow has accomplished in America more mileage with fewer adjustments than any other motor car. Its performance in the two Glidden tours are not surprising to owners of Pierce cars, many of wkom have beaten these records several times over in the ordinary enjoyment of motoring. It is upon such a Chassis that our Pierce Suburban has been built. THE GEORGE N. PIERCE CO. BUFFALO, N. Y. Members of Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers comicbooks.com