Life, 1913-04-24 · page 48 of 48
Life — April 24, 1913 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **car advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. However, it reveals period attitudes worth noting for modern readers. The ad explicitly markets the Oldsmobile Six to **women**, highlighting that the electric self-starter and power air pump eliminate tasks "no longer require[ing] a man's strength"—operations performed by "simply pressing a button or moving a lever." This targets "the gentler sex" as potential drivers. By 1913 standards, this was progressive marketing: automobiles were becoming accessible to women, challenging the notion that driving required masculine physical strength. The ad positions mechanical innovation as liberating, though the paternalistic language ("gentler sex") reflects prevailing gender attitudes. The pricing ($3,200–$3,350) indicates this was a luxury vehicle for affluent households, not mass-market transportation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
24, 1913, OLDSMOBILE PERSON: r'Y—a quality that is individual and dis- tinctive is expressed in every line of the new Six. The Oldsmobile is designed throughout with the ultimate object of inspiring confidence. Comfort, economy, simplicity, power and speed are combined in the perfect performance of this car. The Electric Self-Starter and power driven air pump remove the last ob- stacle to easy and pleasurable driving by the gentler sex. Starting the motor and inflating the tires no longer requires a man’s strength these operations are performed simply by pressing a button or moving a lever. Fifteen years of successful motor car manufacturing is the lineage of the Oldsmobile Six—a prestige maintained through each season and personified in this, the newest model. Seven-Passenger, $3350 Five-Passenger, $3200 Four-Passenger, $3200 COMPLETE EQUIPMENT Six cylinder motor of maximum flexibility | shield. Speedometer and clock, Klaxon warn- and power. Delco electric starting, lighting i ignal. Demountable rims, extra rim, coat and ignition system. Combination splash and ack, mats, tools, etc. S Ily_ designed forced feed oiling system; positive and auto- power driven air-pump, with accurate pressure matic. Wheel base 135 inches. Springs 60 gauge, regularly attached to motor and inches. Truffault-Hartford shock absorbers driven by engine gears, which inflates any tire both front and rear. Upholstery 12 inches to required pressure in from three to four deep. Cape top and boot, rain-vision wind- minutes. We have direct factory representation in all the principal cities, and dealers from coast to coast, who will be pleased to show you this model—or write for catalog to OLDS MOTOR WORKS LANSING, MICHIGAN comicbooks.com