Life, 1909-07-01 · page 31 of 44
Life — July 1, 1909 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not satire or cartoon—it's a straightforward **advertisement for the Detroit Electric automobile**, published in *Life* magazine when electric cars were a viable competing technology to gasoline vehicles (early 1900s). The ad promotes the Detroit Electric's superiority over both gasoline cars and competitor electric vehicles. Key selling points include: five forward speeds, greater range and speed than other electrics, luxurious upholstering, and forward-opening doors—then considered innovative features. The photograph shows the vehicle with well-dressed passengers, emphasizing its association with "highest social prestige." The text claims Detroit is "almost alone" in preference for this model, suggesting market dominance. This reflects a historical moment when electric vehicles were actually competitive before gasoline engines ultimately prevailed. The ad's tone—confident, detailed, emphasizing technological advancement—was typical of automotive advertising during this transitional period in transportation history.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
For a Dozen Conclusive Reasons You'll Decide Upon LEC It is not going to be so difficult as you might think to decide which electric carriage you want. In the gasoline field scores of good cars make a confusing claim upon your consideration. But when you come to choose an electric, a little inquiry will soon satisfy you which carriage is in the ascendant. This is what you'll find:— That communities which have perhaps shown partiality to other cars in previous seasons are rapidly transferring their allegiance to the 9a Electric. That in many cities—as for instance its home town, Detroit, the center of the automobile industry—the 22 Electric is almost alone. Everywhere it is gaining ground; rendering other types, as we said in a recent announce- ment, obsolete; and enjoying, invariably, the highest social prestige attainable. These are concrete conditions as you will find them. They are due to the simple fact tnat the 2@%% Electric incorporates features pre- viously unknown in electric carriages. As it stands today it is unique in the extra- ordinary number of fine points contributing to efficiency, elegance and comfort possessed by no other electric. There are fully fifty of these features. Here are some of the more important :— Greater mileage, higher speed than any other electric can give. Five forward speeds; three reverse— Control of all speeds, motor brake and alarm concentrated in one lever— Cushions deeper and more luxurious— Upholstering and painting of the highest grade— Silver finish metal trimmings throughout— Larger doors and windows in the brougham types— Doors which open forward instead of back— Oval step pads, instead of square with sharp corners— Large size Palmer web tires. Your first step toward owning a DASE Flectric is to write for the literature: learn of the other features which count so much for genuine satisfaction. The factory where the De troit Electric ix made—the largest in the world pro- ducing electric carriages. Its years of successful ve- hicle manufacturing rank it first in the country. ANDERSON CARRIAGE COMPANY, Dept.F, Detroit, Mich. comicbooks.com