Life, 1911-06-29 · page 31 of 45
Life — June 29, 1911 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The Warner Instrument Company promotes its speedometer (called a "Speed Indicator") as a reliable, prestigious car accessory. The page argues that a Warner speedometer is a sound business purchase because: it retains resale value (selling for "half to two-thirds" the original price), it transfers between vehicles, and—importantly—**it signals car quality to observers**. The ad claims that passersby judge a vehicle's worth by whether it has a Warner gauge. A brief anecdote satirizes this logic: two working-class men admiring an expensive car conclude the owner is "a cheap skate" because the speedometer appears inferior—revealing how deeply consumers associated this brand with status. The humor lies in showing that a simple instrument became a **class marker**—owning a Warner indicated wealth and good judgment, while lacking one invited social judgment. This reflects early 1900s consumer culture anxiety about visible status symbols.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CTPF E A Warner is the “Best Business Buy” The Warner Auto-Meter can always be sold for half to two-thirds the list price TT" Successful Business Man buys today with the idea that he may sell tomorrow —irrespective of age or the mileage it has indicated. Note These Points Carefully— y a Warner Auto-Meter, “The Aristocrat of Speed Indicators,” you are buying for years ahead. You will use it not oniy on this car, but on many others. This is his- tory. We are daily hearing of Warners which have been transferred to the seventh and eighth car—and which are still as accurate and reliable as when new. When you bu The Speed Indicator, if it be the sensitive, accurate and wondrously durable Warner, will give you a correct indication of your speed and distance as long as you drive any car—or several cars. Or, if you do not care to transfer it from one car to another, it can always be sold second hand for half to two-thirds what you paid for it, irrespective of age or how many miles it has indicated. There is a brisk demand for second-hand Warners, Every Warner ever made (except a few destroyed in fire or accident) is giving perfect service on some car. The Speed Indicator is the most-looked-at thing on an auto- mobile. The driver refers to it constantly every instant the in motion. Other car owners and those who pass your car when drawn up at the curb, look for the Speed Indicator when deciding for themselves or for others whether you are driving a good car oF not. It is common knowledge among Motorists and Laymen that the Wamer is the Mighest-Quatity Speed Indicator and that it is used on the best cars. Therefore, if the car carries a Warner on the dash, they un- hesitatingly brand that car as Good. If it is an inferior and sunreliable Speed Indicator. the Quality of the car is open to jon in their minds, Our Branch Managers and Salesmen in every important city report having many times heard people on the sidewalk, who have stopped beside a car, say in almost the same words: “I do not sce the name of the car, but it must be a°good one for it has a Warner Auto-Meter on it." Now for the other side of the story: One of our officials who stopped to admire a “classy” looking car in front of the Chicago Athletic Club a few weeks ago, found two Postal Telegraph boys likewise admiring it. As he ap- proached, one was stying to the other: “It's a classy boat alll right, but gee! the guy't owns it must be a cheap skate—look at de Speed Indicator. Me brudder trun one like dat off his motor bike. eee We are stating facts when we say that the Quality Warner is accepted by the General Public as a reliable index of the Quality of the car which carries it on the dash, It is good Business to select a Warner and be Certain. For you may be sorry if you accept anything else. No other Speed Indicator has a second-hand value worth mentioning after a season's use. Ask the Second-Hand Man. He will confirm the truth of this statement. A Warmer is the “Best Business Buy.” WARNER AUTO/METER ‘“‘The Aristocrat of Speed Indicators’’ WARNER HERE New Model M2, $125 ‘The New Model M2 has an Eztra Trip Reset, per= mitting the trip odometer to be set to start at any jesifed mileage. The highest-grade Chelsea Clock ow has outside wtad and act (see IIlustration). ‘This model! Is supplied with Warner large-fgure odometer, ‘Season, 100,000 miles and repeat. Trip, 1,000 miles and repeat. Electric lights over clock and under bezel of to- strument. The most popular Warner model. Modet K2, the same as New Mode! M, but without the Chelsea Clock, 18 also Very popular at $7. Modet 02—"The Twins"—Ia the same instrument as New Model M above. but with large Chelsea Clock, same size as Auto-Moter, and set hortzontally beside It. Tho ultimate in high-class instrument making—$145. Auto-Meter prices range from $50, for Model R, upward to $145. Speed mechanism is the same on all models. Style, Odometer and finish only are different. “Any model, with 100 mile per hour speed dial, at alight additional charge. All regular dials show any speed up to 60 miles an hour. The 1912 Unbreakable Shaft Casing ‘This ts made from two sizes of High Carbon Spring Steel Wire (construction patented) wound into an oil-tight flexible tube which cannot be broken In use. ‘This vvercomes shaft troubles under greatest speed strains, Jara or shocks. The Warner can be secured through reputable Automobile dealers in any city or town in the United States. dealers and their customers. Warner Instrument Company Main Offices and Factory 1152 Wheeler Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin Branch Houses Maintained at Atlanta Boston Buffalo Denver Detroit Indianapolis Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Kansas City Los Angel New York Philadelphia Pittsburg Portland, Ore. Warner branches are maintained in all the principal cities for the convenience of these Inquiry to Beloit or at our branches is invited for Warner literature. San Francisco attle St. Louis (120) comicbooks.com