Life, 1910-01-06 · page 10 of 76
Life — January 6, 1910 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an advertisement, not a political cartoon. It's a Hudson Motor Company ad for their touring car model, priced at $1,150—positioning it as offering exceptional value for the features provided (four-cylinder motor, 110-inch wheelbase, five-passenger capacity). The "satire" here is commercial rather than political: the ad claims Hudson offers superior quality and features compared to competitors at the same or higher price point. It appeals to early automotive consumers by emphasizing practical engineering ("Strength") and balanced design ("Beauty"), suggesting buyers get more "for your money" with Hudson than elsewhere. This reflects 1910s-era automobile marketing, when the industry was young and manufacturers competed fiercely on value propositions to expand the mass market.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
This price includes three oil lamps, two gas lam; generator, horn, tire rep: outfit,tools and jack. Think what this car is—110 inch wheel base; four- cylinder motor; 32 inch wheels; 3!4 inch tires all around; five passenger capacity—and the price, $1150. Never before has there been offered such a car at such a price. This is not just a hasty statement of our own. Can you think, yourself, of any other four-cylinder, 110 inch wheel base, five passenger car at $1150 or less? You will find these features in other cars, but those cars sell for at least $100 or $200 more. You will find still other cars selling for less than $1150, but they do not have our high-grade features. The Hudson Touring car is the best value, the best buy yet offered by any auto- mobile manufacturer. By this, we mean you get rela- tively more for your money than in any other car. There are certain proved features of motor car con- struction which any car must have before it can be considered an up-to-date, high grade car. The Hudson has those features. To those makers who show you the same features, we point to our price; it is lower than their's. To those who offer cars below $1150, we point to our high-grade features; they do not have them. From one class we are set off by our price; from another by our quality. The Hudson is strong, because the careful plans of a great engi- neer have been expressed by the best material that money can buy. It has plenty of raom—many cars are big and heavy without be- ing roomy. The Hudson is big and roomy without being too heavy. 10 trength Beauty The Hudson has beauty—not merely the beauty of paint—but the beauty of balance, of perfect pro- rtion. Many touring cars look ‘‘bunched.’’ In the udson over-all length, hood, body, wheels, harmonize to make a whole effect that pleases the eye. No other touring car at or near the price has so many features and refinements in common with the most expensive cars. High Grade Hudson Features Its motor is the Renault Type, patterned after the famous Renault motors of France. It is the same type of motor as used in the Hudson Roadster; four cylinders ‘‘en_ bloc;’’ vertical, water cooled, long stroke, 20 to 25 H. P. Due to its long stroke this motor pulls quietly and evenly at low engine speeds, Transmission is selective, sliding gear; three speeds forward and one reverse—the same transmis- sion as found on the highest-priced cars. The spring suspension is the same as used on cars costing up to $6000. Semi-elliptic front and @ elliptic rear, unusually long, mounted with heavy, strong fit- tings. Clutch is leather faced cone type; rear axle semi-floating, shaft driven. Front axle ‘I’? beam Peat , drop forged, of carefully selected, high-grade steel, There is nothing experimental about this car— nothing untried. No low-priced touring car is so near mechanically perfect. Hudson Motor Detroit, Michigan tan con put the lute of 1 ing wh con stal mu cart wid spar witl comicbooks.com