Life, 1907-01-17 · page 59 of 60
Life — January 17, 1907 — page 59: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two car advertisements rather than political satire. **Left side (Witherbee Igniter Company):** A straightforward advertisement using the metaphor that a car's ignition is its "heart." The pitch claims that ignition quality matters more than purchase price—an $8,000 car with poor ignition is worth less than a $2,000 car with perfect ignition. They encourage readers to request a free booklet. **Right side (Brasier automobile):** A more elaborate advertisement claiming the French-made Brasier is superior to American cars. It uses a classical allusion: like Alexander the Great who "had no more worlds to conquer," the Brasier has defeated all competitors so decisively that racing it would be unsporting. The ad emphasizes the car's racing victories and royal/wealthy ownership abroad, then highlights its new competitive American pricing ($4,500). The closing argument: it's identical to American cars in price and output, "except merit." Both ads reflect early automotive marketing—emphasizing technical reliability and prestige ownership.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
F Heart of a Motor Car Is in Its Ignition When your car has heart trouble there is danger; when your ignition is faulty, your car is faulty. A Car Is No Better Than Its Ignition N $8,000 car with poor ignition gives you much less fraveling value than a $2,000 car with perfedt ignition. The only perfect ignition system is the WITHERBEE. If you have an expensive car you cannot get your money’s worth out of it without the WITHERBEE Batteries. If your car is a modest-priced one, you must have the WITHERBEE to give you speed, safety, reliability and endurance. @ There are some things about ignition which you should know in order to get greater speed, greater safety, greater value out of your car; drop us a line requesting No. 11 and we will send you a little booklet which will be of inestimable value to you; it’s free. WITHERBEE IGNITER COMPANY Main Office: 541 West 43d Street, New York BRANCHES: Chicago, 1329 Mic! Ave, Detrot, 260 Jefferson Ave. Baltimore, 510 Continental Building Because he had no more worlds to conquer. If he were living to-day he would—from what biographers say of his tastes—own a Brasier and then he would be again in the same fix. Like Alexander, the Brasier has no more worlds to conquer. It has defeated all the principal cars of the world so REPEATEDLY and so DECISIVELY that its makers have rather lost the ardor for motor racing; it is hardly sports- manlike to keep rubbing it in when one has a sure thing. The Brasier has TWICE consecutively won the French Elimina- tion Trials for the Gordon Bennett Cup, defeating ALL the best cars of France. It has also TWICE consecutively won the Gordon Bennett Cup Race, defeating ALL the best cars of the world. The Brasier, the great, splendid car used abroad by royalty— for instance, six have been sold to the Russian Imperial family —the Brasier, the car most frequently selected by American captains of industry and chevaliers of society traveling abroad— the Brasier may be purchased this season at a price Cheaper than American Cars $4500 buys a 20-H. P. Brasier Limousine For years the French makers have been holding up their prices while the American makers were steadily increasing prices. Now, since the American cars have reached a permanent selling price and their construction is standardized, the foreign maker finds a solid foundation for a competing price offer. The Brasier, the world’s greatest car, is now offered at a price which parallels the cost of the really good American cars. We could have done this five years ago, still ata good business profit. This means that the famous Brasier is com- peting on an even price with American cars, the same price, same output, same deliveries, everything the same except merit, and no sane man would for a moment compare any American car with the Brasier. AL fy itis VALUABLE We are not exhibiting at Madison Square Garden—but if you | fail to come in and see the Brasier at our splendid show-rooms, you || miss the most important showing of cars in New York. Sole Importer of Brasier Cars E. B. GALLAHER, 230 W. 58th St., New York Eastern Agent for Cleveland Cars reas of UNevticid Protycrs, ew Fo comicbooks.com