Life, 1909-10-14 · page 3 of 36
Life — October 14, 1909 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward product advertisement for the Hupmobile automobile, published in *Life* magazine. The ad promotes the Hupmobile as an affordable "little car" alternative to larger vehicles, priced at $750. The copy emphasizes that despite its smaller size, the car features quality engineering comparable to costlier models: 4 cylinders, 20 horsepower, sliding gears, and Bosch magneto ignition. The headline's wit ("Everything the Big Car Has Save Size") is marketing copy rather than social commentary. The ad targets budget-conscious buyers seeking reliable transportation without premium pricing — reflecting early automotive market competition in what appears to be the 1910s era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Everything the Big Car Has Save Size 4 Cylinders 20 H. P. Sliding gears Bosch Magneto Until the Hupmobile came, nobody had built a little car which was just as good as the best big car made. The man who bought a roadster or runabout knew that he wasn’t the same sort of engineering skill, workmanship and material got in the fine large cars. But the Hupmobile has changed all that. If the makers of the best and costliest big cars in the country de- ded to market a moderate priced roadster they wouldn't produce a etter car than the Hupmobile—because they couldn’t. ! Their pride in their fine workmanship is no greater than our pride mM ours. What they give you on a large scale the Hupmobile gives you on little car masquerading as a big one. ll car which is just as good in every detail as the best big The power plant is just as perfect. It’s not as large as some others—but if you examine it with the experienced eye of a critical engineer you won’t find it one whit inferior. It will do the uttermost that a perfect power plant can do in pro- Portion to its size. Its 20 horse power is not mythical—the 20 horse power is there whenever and wherever you want or need it. It is a perfect little glutton for hills and high grades. You can’t discourage it any more than you can discourage the finest other motors of twice the horse power rating. And what’s true of the motor is true of every other feature in the construction. You'll search in vain for anything inferior—for any one part in the chassis that doesn’t match the same part in a costlier car in every- thing but size. Where will you see a sturdier, stronger, pressed steel frame, stauncher axles (fit for a car twice its weight) or a more noiseless system of sliding gears? And what other roadster compares with it in snap, style and ele- gance of appearance—what big car, speaking proportionately, is more distinguished ? Success has come to the Hupmobile in overflowing measure. In every community it has hosts of friends, and its appearance on the streets is followed by a chorus of admiring comments. Ask your Hupmobile dealer to demonstrate its splendid speed, power and smooth running capacities and you'll be charmed with its performance. And write for the literature describing the 1910 car. HUPP MOTOR CAR COMPANY, Dept. J, DETROIT, MICHIGAN comicbooks.com