Life, 1912-01-04 · page 89 of 108
Life — January 4, 1912 — page 89: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satirical content** — it's a straightforward automobile advertisement for the Willys-Overland Company's Model 61-T touring car. The ad presents the vehicle as a luxury product: a 45-horsepower, five-passenger car priced at $1500, which the manufacturer claims rivals competitors' $2000 models. It emphasizes premium features — Brewster green finish with ivory striping, nickel-plated components, Timken bearings, and a Bosch magneto — and promises comfort and room. The page appears in *Life* magazine, which published both satirical content and conventional advertisements. This particular page is purely promotional advertising, using the decorative border typical of early 20th-century magazine design. There is no discernible satire or hidden commentary — it's a direct sales pitch to readers who might afford an automobile during the early automotive era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
T in the world. HIS magnificent car is the product of the greatest automobile factory It is our Model 61---a 45-horse-power five-passenger touring car, priced at $1500. Judged by the standard values of other makers this is a $2000 car. g The handsome body is finished in deep Brewster green, ivory striped. All of the bright parts are heavily nickel-plated. The lamps are dead black trimmed with bright nickel. It hasa pow- erful 45-horse-power Motor. The long wheel base of one hundred and fifteen inches gives you all the room and comfort you can possibly want. The shifting levers are in the center of the car. All door handles are located in- side, leaving the graceful body lines unbroken. The tires are big. Axles are fitted with the finest Timken bearings. The magneto is a Bosch. g Our booklet will explain why we can produce a better car for less money than any other maker in the industry. It will interest you. Write and ask for copy D 21. The Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, Ohio Model 61-T—$1500 Wheel base, 115 inches; horse-power, 45; Bosch magneto green, ivory stripe, all bright parts y, $-Da tires, 3. nickel pl body, s-passenger, touring; motor. 434 x 434; 4x 4 inch Q. D.: + finish, Brewster lated. Price, $1500.