Life, 1912-05-09 · page 33 of 48
Life — May 9, 1912 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from *Life* magazine, likely from the 1910s-1920s. The Speedwell Motor Car Company of Dayton, Ohio is advertising their vehicles by emphasizing quality and reliability rather than mechanical specifications. The ad features a testimonial from F. M. Andrews, a prominent New York architect, claiming he was so satisfied with his Speedwell touring car after 30,000 miles that he bought two additional models, despite owning more expensive imported cars. The accompanying images show a Speedwell Speed Car (two-passenger model at $2,700) alongside an architectural column, visually comparing the car's craftsmanship to classical structural design—suggesting durability and timeless quality. Pricing ranges from $2,500 to $2,900 for various models with self-starters included. This represents typical early automotive advertising strategy: using wealthy, credible customer testimonials to build brand prestige.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Speedwell perfection cannot be measured in mechanical terms We have repeatedly stated that Speedwell worth does not lie in any manifest superiority of this or that or the other specification here and there over the car—but rather in the uniformally high quality of every ounce of material and its machining and assembly, in the correctly bal- anced design and perfect inter-relation of the units. Here is one of hundreds of similar statements from owners, which bear testimony to the same remark- able motor car perfection: “T bought a touring car over a year ago and drove it about 30,000 miles with such satisfaction as to cause me to buy, since January Ist, two additional closed cars of the same make. I have owned expensive imported cars as well as domestic ones, costing twice as much as the Speedwell, and from the standpoint of economy of operation and eneral all-round satisfaction, I would not trade one jpeedwell for the many others I have owned.” (Signed) F. M. ANDREWS. (A prominent New York Architect.) Speedwell four, five and seven-passenger models, fully equipped, including self-starter, at $2700, $2750, and $29 The two-passenger Roadster and Speed Car, eaulpuient special, at $2500 and $2700. Literature upon request. THE SPEEDWELL MOTOR CAR COMPANY DAYTON, OHIO comicbooks.com