Life, 1913-03-13 · page 3 of 44
Life — March 13, 1913 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement for the White Thirty, published in Life magazine. The White Company of Cleveland marketed this car as a technological pioneer, emphasizing its innovative gasoline motor design with a long-stroke, monobloc engine. The ad highlights practical features: electrical starting and lighting (relatively new at the time), left-side drive with right-hand gear control, and superior fuel economy. The engraving shows a touring car typical of the 1910s era. The "incomparable" language and claims about economic efficiency reflect standard early automotive advertising rhetoric. This appears to be genuine promotional content rather than satirical commentary—Life magazine accepted substantial paid advertising alongside its humorous editorial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
E INCOMPARA a]he WHITE THIRTY is the pioneer car. Sqi|[t revolutionized gasoline motor construction in America by introducing the long stroke, = monobloc principles of motor design. Economy in fuel consumption was a myth until the advent of the WHITE THIRTY which has proved by repeated tests to be more economical than any other car of equal size and power. Left side drive with the only logical method of control- that of right hand operation of the gear lever, combined with the White electrical starting and lighting system-with two years o successful operation, makes the WHITE THIRTY in addition to the most economical, the mostde- sirable and convenient medium sized car. THE WHITE G&S COMPANY Cleveland comicbooks.com