Life, 1911-06-22 · page 44 of 44
Life — June 22, 1911 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **automobile advertisement**, not political satire. It features a testimonial from a satisfied New York owner praising his Oldsmobile "Autocrat" model for reliability and performance on American roads. The "cartoon" element is the illustration showing an early motorcar on a ferry with passengers—depicting the car's capability for long-distance family travel, a novel luxury in 1911. The text emphasizes practical advantages: powerful engine for hills, sturdy wheels for rough roads, and reliable tires. The phrase "new worlds to conquer" references Napoleon, suggesting the car enables adventure and conquest of the American landscape. The advertisement positions Oldsmobile as dependable and superior to competitors, listing three models ($3,000–$5,000). This reflects the early automotive era when car ownership was still a status symbol and reliability claims were major selling points.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
June 22, 1911 “The pleasure I take in my Oldsmobile” writes a New Yorker, “is due largely to the supreme con- fidence | have learned to place in this car. | say learned to place because | have owned other cars—good ones, too — but never before enjoyed the steady, quiet servicewhich seven months’ owner- ship of an ‘Autocrat’ has given me. “My family can plan an outing of a day or of a fortnight with the precision of a time-table, and when we drive on the ferry we have the comfortable knowl- edge that nothing between Jersey and the Rocky Mountains need interfere with our pleasure, so far as the car is concerned ! “Grades:—your big, long-stroke en- gine will pull us up anything on which the wheels may obtain traction. Rough roads:—the large wheels and good springs THE SPECIAL 4-Cylinder, $3000 OLDS MOTOR WORKS Copyright, 1911, by Olda Motor Works The flu tocrar” +Cylinder Uy THE AUTOCRAT 4-Cylinder, $3500 make them less rough, Tire troubles:—large tires and de- mountable rims leave noroomfor anxietythere. Speed:—mile- a-minute whenever you want it—although I do not want it! “There seems to be a little surplus ability somewhere in the ‘Autocrat,’ which gives it energy, flexibility and life. It’s a revelation even to a seasoned motorist like myself. It makes me feel as though I had ‘new worlds to conquer’ on every tour.” There are sound mechanical reasons for the “surplus ability’’ of the Oldsmobile. Any dealer or any of our Branch Managers will be glad to explain them without involving any obligation on your part. The catalogue also describes them and it will be sent gratis on request. THE LIMITED 6-Cylinder, $5000 , LANSING, MICH. comicbook s.com