Life, 1911-05-11 · page 33 of 44
Life — May 11, 1911 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a straightforward product advertisement, not satire. It promotes the Hupp-Yeats Electric automobile (priced at $1,750) to early 20th-century consumers by listing six practical advantages of electric vehicles: weight reduction, direct motor-to-axle transmission, reduced wind resistance, improved safety features, elegant design, and a Westinghouse motor capable of 17-20 mph with 75-90 mile range per battery charge. The ad addresses common objections to electric cars—particularly cost and perceived inferiority to gasoline vehicles—by emphasizing technological innovations and refined engineering. The illustration shows an elegant enclosed carriage with well-dressed occupants, positioning electrics as sophisticated, reliable transportation for affluent buyers. This represents the pre-1920s period when electric vehicles were competitive luxury options before gasoline engines became dominant.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
This car gives you a new set of reasons for owning an electric A cor of French design ching of the tery latest tions. fathion. Guaranteed for life. Design tro- rpHEce tected by letters patent. vered ough. rd HUPP-YEATS cul ELECTRIC pecial re be: You've always felt, in all probability, that you would like to own New Reason No. 3 is the elimination of some 400 pounds of weight pencer an electric car, if you could, a —with all that that means in power-saving and the consequent But the Hupp-Yeats confronts you with an entirely new set ot Cost of keeping the car. reasons, which haven't existed before. New Reason No. 4 is the direct transmission of power from motor Sah pa pe Ean ce veiiiace to axle—axle and motor being practically a single unit. This You've probably sald—or your wife has- Fae ge the ee feature alone intensifies immense) the desirability of the is-more than:we-can:afford.”’ electric, because it eliminates the loss of power due to the use ; — of the ordinary chain drive. ; The Hupp-Yeats overcomes that objection to begin with, because New Reason No. § is the 50% reduction of wind resistance due to it brings you the service and the beauty that heretofore have : ee ¢ lieved bongs you the service aad tbe | the sloping hood and curved roof—another clement in the cessity 4 soe 8 re economy of current and cost of upkeep. That's New Reason No. 1. zi . New Reason No. 6 is the entirely original factor of safety presented His New Reason No. 2 is a dignity of design due to the low-hung coach by the low-hung body—a feature which reduces the danger of iat —which came into being with the Hupp-Yeats and is peculiar skidding 75% and makes it impossible for the Hupp-Yeats to oe to it. overturn. ccs, we So, when you come to decide now whether you can or cannot afford an electric, the Hupp-Yeats makes claims upon your consideration er and which forbid you to judge it by any other car. s, dare If you inquire into these unique Hupp-Yeats features, you'll say “Yes.” Therefore, let us send you the literature. several fe The Hupp-Yeats is driven by a Westinghouse motor. It is capable of a speed of yee 17 to 20 miles per hour and a mileage range of 75 to 90 miles per charge of the he bad Exide Hycap batteries. The Westinghouse controller provides five speeds forward erbee and two reverse, The tires are Goodyear long distance No-Rim-Cut. ng Brace R. C. H. Sales Company, 110 Lycaste Street, Detroit, Michigan Branches in the following cities: Buffalo, 1125 Main St.: Chicago, 1509 Michigan Ave.; Denver, 1620 Broadway; Detrolt. Woodward & Warren Aves; may Kansas City, 34th St. and Broadway; Minneapolis, 1334 Nicollet Ave.; ladelphia, 330 N. Broad St.; Los Angeles; Cleveland. comicbookKs.com