Life — August 22, 1912 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **not a cartoon or satirical content** — it's a straightforward advertisement for Peerless Motor Cars, published in Life magazine circa 1913. The ad promotes the "Gray & Davis Electric Starter," a then-revolutionary automotive feature. The illustration shows a driver using a foot pedal to start the engine electrically, rather than hand-cranking (the dangerous, labor-intensive method previously required). Key selling points highlighted: - Simple operation (just a pedal and switch) - Uses the car's existing 6-volt electrical system - Battery charges automatically via the dynamo - No complicated electrical controls needed The ad lists three 1913 Peerless models with prices ($4,300–$6,000). This represents genuine technological progress — the electric starter became standard equipment and fundamentally improved automobile practicality and safety.