Life, 1910-01-20 · page 25 of 36
Life — January 20, 1910 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon but business advertising** disguised as editorial content in *Life* magazine. It promotes the Overland automobile through a success narrative about entrepreneur John N. Willys. The "story" claims Willys took over a failing automobile company in 1907-1908 and, within two years, built it into a $24 million enterprise with 4,000 workers. The text emphasizes the car's simplicity, reliability, and affordability ($1,000-$1,400)—supposedly so popular it sold "without advertising" through word-of-mouth alone. Two car models are illustrated at the bottom. **The satirical angle** (typical of *Life*'s approach): This reads as parody of American success mythology—the self-made businessman overcoming crisis through genius and determination. For modern readers, it's notably an **advertorial**: promotional content formatted to appear like journalism, a practice common in early 20th-century magazines but now generally disclosed. The piece celebrates industrial scale and mass production as inherently good, reflecting pre-WWI American optimism about capitalism and manufacturing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LEE: The Discovery Here is an outline of the story—just enough p make you want it all. Two years ago, Mr. John N. Willys was a aler in automobiles, There came to him one ya remarkable car—evidently the creation of mechanical genius. The simplest, sturdiest, thest-running car that anyone around there bad seen. The name of the car was the Overland. And ¢ price—then, $1,250—was as amazing as the Br itself. The sale of this car spread like wildfire. ch car sold brought a call for twenty others eit. Old and new motor car owners came he score to deposit advance money—at- ted by the Overland’s matchless simplicity. But the cars did not come. And when Mr. Nillys went to the makers he found them on etge of receivership. The genius which had created this marvelous hr could not finance the making, in the face of 1907 panic. The New Start y met the overdue pay and contrived to fill Ilys in some w l—took over the plant is customers’ orders. | Then the cry came for more cars from every e where an Overland had been sold. As ¢ new cars went out the demand became over- ming. The factory capacity was outgrown “ort order. Then tents were erected. Another factory was acquired, then another; t the demand soon outgrew all three. ing the next fiscal year these factories sent nt 4075 Overland cars. Yet the demand was Mt half supplied. d Model 38—Price $1,000. 25 h.p. Made also with single rumble mlb: Made ‘onneau at slightly addition A Wonderful Business Story We have told in a book—which we ask you to send for—one of the greatest business stories ever pid. A story of how John N. Willys stepped in two years to the topmost place in motordom. verland automobiles rose in 24 months to this year’s sale of $24,000,000. ike magic to a payroll of 4,000 men—to a daily output of 30 carloads of automobiles. And how a large of the demand of the country has been centered around one remarkable car. Dealers fairly fought for preference. Buyers paid premiums. None could be content with a lesser car when he once saw the Overland. All this without advertising. About the only advertising the car ever had was what users told others. The Pope-Toledo Plant Mr. Willys’ next step was to buy the Pope- Toledo factory—one of the greatest automobile plants in the country. This gave him four well- equipped factories—just 16 months from his start. But the Toledo plant wasn't sufficient. So he gave his builders just 4o days to complete an addition larger than the original factory. Then he equipped these buildings with the most modern machinery—with every conceivable help and convenience—so that cars could be built here for less than anywhere else. Now 4,000 men work on Overland cars. The output is valued at $140,000 per d: The con- tract from dealers for this season's delivery call for 20,000 cars. Now this man has acquired 23 acres around his Toledo plant. And his purpose is to see— from this time on—that those who want Over- lands get them. Marvelous Sales Dealers had ordered 16,000 of the 1910 Over- land models before the first car was delivered. That means that each Overland sold the pre- vious year had sold four others like it. And without any advertising. This year’s Overland sales will exceed $24,- 000,000. Yet the Overland is but two years old. The Two of the many Overland Models All prices include Magneto and full lamp equipment Members of Association Licensed Automobile Manufacturers Licensed Under Selden Patent Overland Model 41—Price $1,400. wheel base—5S. Of how How a factory has grown The $1,000 Overland This year an Ov erland—better than la than last year’s $1,250 car—is being sold for $1,000. That is be- cause the tremendous production has cut the cost 20 per cent. A 25 horsepower car, capable of 50 miles an hour, for $1,000, complete with lamps and mag- neto. Never did a maker give nearly so much for the money. There _.are higher-powered Overlands for $1,250—$1,400—$1,500. They are just as cheap in ‘comparison as the $1,000 model. The Overlands are unique in simplicity. They operate by pedal control. A ten-year-old child can master the car in a moment They are made in the same factory, and by the same men as made the Pope-Toledo—a $4,250 car. The reason for the price lies in the production of 125 cars per day. Get the Whole Story Send me this coupon to get the whole story, told in a fascinating book. Learn about the car which in two years captured so large a share of the whole trade of the country. See what has done this—what there is in the Overland to make it the most desired car in existence. Please cut out this coupon now. F. A. BARKER, Sates Manager, The Willys Overland Company Toledo, Ohio Please send me the book. 40 b. p.—112-inch passengers. Five lamps and Magneto included. comicbooks.com