Life, 1913-04-10 · page 47 of 48
Life — April 10, 1913 — page 47: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement** from Life magazine's pages. The Willys-Overland Company advertises their "Overland" car model at $985 (F.O.B. Toledo), presented as "Completely Equipped." The ad uses a detailed technical illustration showing the vehicle's engineering. The sales pitch claims that during the slow winter months (January-February), they were consistently 5,000+ cars behind on orders, positioning this as evidence of enormous spring demand. The company urges readers to visit local dealers and book orders early to secure faster delivery. The only quasi-humorous element is the implicit message: the car is so popular you can't get one quickly, so you'd better order now—a common sales tactic. This reflects genuine 1910s automobile market dynamics, when demand outpaced manufacturing capacity. This page demonstrates how Life magazine, while known for satirical cartoons, also carried conventional advertising to generate revenue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
and grime ag all the atter how It cleans use—just ith it and you would Free pply deal- tisfactioa unded. OMPANY |i ilding 's. small ed upon at from poil his tenry a In his burden, ods the in vain, c, if not "antl Completel Completely ie Equipped. Equipped were always over 5,000 cars behind our “immediate shipping orders.” From : this you can judge what the demand will be from now on, which is the most active automobile buying season. Dwere January and February, the dullest period in the automobile business, we See the Overland dealer in your town now. The earlier you book your order e quicker you get your car—and spring is practically here. Literature on request. Please address Dept. 16 The Willys-Overland Company, i Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A. ON, N. ¥- ae _ comicbooks.com