Life, 1911-03-02 · page 51 of 52
Life — March 2, 1911 — page 51: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement, not a cartoon or satire. It promotes ALCO (American Locomotive Company) automobiles by emphasizing their racing credentials. The ad features an illustration of a 1909-1910 era touring car flanked by images of the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup trophies. The key claim: an identical ALCO stock car won this major racing competition in both 1909 and 1910—unprecedented achievements that no other manufacturer matched. The advertisement argues that ALCO's racing success proves superior engineering and manufacturing quality. The text emphasizes that winning grueling races demonstrates reliability, giving potential buyers "security and satisfaction." For modern readers: this represents early automotive marketing strategy, using racing victories to validate quality claims to consumers. The Vanderbilt Cup was a genuine, prestigious motorsports event of the era, making this competitive achievement significant for establishing brand prestige in a nascent automobile industry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VANDERBILT cup 1909 ars 2501 Michigan Ave,CHICAGO. 4CYUNDER 401.P, 7PASSENGER, $4500. @CYUNDER 6ON.P,.7PASSENGER, $6000. An ALCO touring car from stock won the Vanderbilt cup in 1909 and again in 1910, the same identical car won both races. No other stock car has ever won the Vanderbilt cup. No other car has won it twice. It won because it was an ALCO, because the American Locomotive Company built it, because the builders know the breaking strain of every part, piece and bolt in the structure, because the builders know materials from generations of experience, because they know how to manufacture and they understand designing. It is impossible to subject a car to a greater test than that of rounding curves in a race. The car that withstood two such gruelling tests must be considered successful and must give the purchaser a feeling of security and satisfaction. Buitt AND GUARANTEED BY Aa AION Yam American, Locomotive Company (ia 0 1886 Broadway, NEWYORK. ei ) esy (Ucensco ween seer rarENT) THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY NEW YORK VANDERBILT cuP comicbooks.com