Life — May 16, 1912 — page 33: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily a **Detroit Electric automobile advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The ad features a woman in early 1900s attire (large hat, light dress) standing beside the car, which appears to be a luxury electric vehicle. The copy emphasizes the Detroit Electric's advantages: it's reliable, easy to start and stop, has no gear reductions (the "Chainless Shaft Drive"), and travels significant distances on a single charge. The ad highlights features appealing to wealthy buyers—powerful brakes, flexible body construction, and closed-in design—suggesting this was marketed toward affluent women and families as a practical, safe alternative to gasoline vehicles. This reflects the early automotive era when electric cars competed seriously with gas-powered engines before eventually being displaced.