Life, 1908-01-02 · page 44 of 44
Life — January 2, 1908 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a straightforward **automobile advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes the Pierce Great Arrow, a luxury car manufactured by the George N. Pierce Company of Buffalo, New York, circa 1908. The ad uses hyperbolic language to market the car's smoothness and power: the copywriter claims that coasting downhill with the engine off is "the only way" to describe the driving experience—suggesting the car runs so smoothly that the machinery feels invisible. This was an appealing luxury feature for wealthy early-automobile buyers. The page lists multiple car models with varying horsepower (30-60 H.P.) and prices ($4,000-$6,500—substantial sums in 1908), along with an extensive network of Pierce dealers across America and internationally, demonstrating the brand's market reach and prestige.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ghe Great Arrow 6-Cylinder OASTING downhill with the engines stopped and the clutch thrown out is the only way to describe the effect of riding in a Pierce Six-Cylinder. The sense of machinery is lost. The propulsion appears almost to be some invisible force outside the car. This is the only way we can express the actual luxury of our new Six. HERE ARE THE 4-cylinder Great Arrow, 40 H. P., Price, $5,000 1908 TOURING CARS ler Great Arrow, 40 H. P. ice, $5,500 6-cylinder Great Arrow, 60 H. P., Price, $6,500 THE GEORGE N. PIERCE CO., (Mics ssediene coe’) BUFFALO, N.Y. Automobile Manufacturers PIERCE DEALERS Binghamton, Binghamton Motor Car Co. 172 State Street MexicoCity, Mex. Mohler & DeGress a Independencia, 12 M. 5 Boykton Street Milwauk Auto. Ci IS87 Wisconsin Street West Sith Stret d Mi c 7Uz Hennepin Avenue i ‘onception Street 4-cylinder Great Arrow, 30 H. P., Price, $4,000 US. Automobile Co. tah Tom Botterill Standard Motor Car Co Pierce Co. ai Jjotor Car Co, Euclid s 6 Main Street california Street Jeflerson Avenue 8 Y High & Allyn Streets ‘Titusville, Pa. Av.& San JacintoSt.| Toronto, Ont. Inut S Troy, N’ Troy Automobile Excha tatinite, Ky. John ‘isn Straus s Utica, N.Y. Utica Motor Ca Co. Paris, France, N.S. Goodsill (parts oaly), 22 Avenue de Grand Armée comicbooks.com