Life, 1911-09-21 · page 31 of 52
Life — September 21, 1911 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement masquerading as editorial content in *Life* magazine. The Willys-Overland Company advertises their Model 59 touring car, priced at $900, emphasizing manufacturing efficiency as the reason for undercutting competitors charging $1,250 for similar vehicles. The ad's central claim: their large-scale production facilities enable lower costs than smaller manufacturers. The "book" referenced is promotional literature explaining Overland's manufacturing advantages. The advertisement repeatedly stresses economies of scale—a genuine business principle—to justify the price difference. **For modern readers**: This represents early 20th-century automotive competition and *Life*'s willingness to publish paid advertisements alongside editorial content, a common practice then. The detailed technical specifications (horsepower, wheel base, magneto type) appeal to an era when car features weren't yet standardized and buyers scrutinized mechanical details. No political satire or caricature appears here—merely commercial persuasion framed as informational content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A A Book That Fully Explains Why We Can Build a 30-Horsepower 5-Passenger Fore-door Touring Car to Sell for $900. Write for a Copy. T is utterly impossible for anyone to realize the economical manufacturing strength of the Overland organization without a clear idea of its enormous manufacturing facilities. To the average man an automo- bile factory is merely a factory—a place where cars are made. Yet there is the greatest difference in the world. On one hand you have a plant, which, on account of its great produ-tion, can make and sell its car for far less than the other fac- tory. And on the other hand you might have a very small factory, which, while it produces a good car, has a very small capacity, and its car for car production costs are considerably higher than those of the larger plant. That is why you find one manufacturer selling his 30-horsepower touring car for $1250 while we market that type of machine for $900. @ We have just published a very thorough book which explains in a clear, definite and readable manner the difference in automobile plants. And the point of this whole book is to prove the economical manufacturing ability of the Overland plants—to prove its strength by showing and ex- plaining to you the interior and exterior of the greatest automobile plant in the world, The book is free and we want you to have one. It is interesting and full of information, G, Above all it gives you a clear understanding of economics in the production of automobiles in great quantities, and we believe it proves why no other manufacturer in the business can produce the car described below and sell it at our price without losing money. To realize this you have but to compare this automobile with any other similar car on the market. Take the entire list of specifications and see if you can duplicate this car for less than $1250. Our Model 59 is the most progressive step the industry has ever witnessed and it means a great deal to the motor buyers of America. GA line to us will bring you this new Overland book. It explains what we are and what we have got and why other cars of similar size and rating are from twenty to forty per cent. higher in price. Write and ask for book Dz, The Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, Ohio Model 59-T 5-Passenger Fore-door Touring Car, $999 Wheel base 106 inches; motor 41414; horsepower 30; Splitdorf magneto; transmission selective, three speeds and reverse; F. & S. ball bearings; tires 32x 334 Q.D.: 3oll lamps, 2gaslampsand generator. Completeset of tools. comicbooks.com