Life, 1910-03-17 · page 25 of 36
Life — March 17, 1910 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine's pages. The page advertises the Owen Motor Car, a touring automobile manufactured in Detroit. The ad emphasizes practical features appealing to early 20th-century drivers: 42-inch wheels, tire durability, a smooth-riding suspension, a four-cylinder engine, and comfort amenities like cushioned seats and high doors for dust protection. At $4,000 (substantial money at the time), the Owen targets "discriminating buyers" seeking luxury combined with economy. The detailed feature list—electric lighting, mohair top, speedometer, tools included—reflects the technological novelty of automobiles in this era. The ornamental initial letter "O" and layout are typical period design. There is no satire or political commentary present; this is simply period advertising emphasizing engineering quality and comfort features that would have seemed innovative to contemporary readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ent, ped or’s « |Designed for e == OR discriminatin nn Touring Ne buyers who nei the greatest comfort, luxury ( ‘omfort S and motor-car economy, the og Ni] OWEN is ideal. - 42-inch wheels and large tires in- —— sure great tire mileage. They add to the life of the whole automobile and with the OWEN spring susnension give a new meaning to “easy riding qualities.” f A long stroke, 50 h. p., four-cylinder a x ‘i motor gives maximum pulling effort at ¥ slow speed and insures smoothness, quiet- ness and absence of vibration. The steering column, located on the left- hand side, with gear shifting lever at the operator's right, permits of e: access to the driver's seat from either side. High front doors protect the occupants of the front seats from dust in the summer and cold in the winter. Deep cushions, folding auxiliary seats y of room make comfort for the tonneau 3. OWEN Motor Car is regularly equipped ith: Finest quality mohair top and top slip cover, folding wind shield, speedometer, clock, electric horn, Prest- ite tank, combination electric and gas head lamps, combination electric and oil side and tail lamps, tire carrier, mufiler cut-out, foot accelerator, trunk rack, robe rail, gasoline gauge, full set of tools, tire chains and one extra inner tube. Price, $4,000 f. 0. b. Detroit. Descriptive literature on request. Motor Car Co. EAST GRAND BOULEVARD DETROIT, MICHIGAN comicbooks.com