Life, 1913-05-01 · page 31 of 48
Life — May 1, 1913 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon but an automobile advertisement** from Life magazine's 1913 issue. R.E. Olds, designer of the Reo Motor Car Company, uses the page to highlight technical features that should distinguish quality cars from inferior competitors. The piece contrasts honest, durable engineering ("built slowly and carefully") against rushed manufacturing "merely made to sell." Key selling points include left-side drive (becoming standard), electric dash lights, proper tire sizing, and extensive testing protocols (50-ton crushing tests, 48-hour engine tests, 190 drop forgings). The accompanying illustration shows the Reo the Fifth touring car priced at $1,095, listing specifications like 30-35 horsepower and 112-inch wheelbase. **Context for modern readers**: This reflects early automotive industry standardization debates and manufacturers' appeals to quality-conscious buyers in a rapidly competitive market.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Watch These Things By R. E. Olds, Designer The leading cars this year have these fea- tures in them. They are things you should insist on. Left Drive Practically all the great cars of 1913 have the left-side drive. That means, of course, that others must adopt it. They don’t have projecting side lamps. They use electric set-in dash lights, as used on Reo the Fifth. They are not under-tired. Skimpy tires, which double one's tire bills, are now mych out-of-date. Better, Parts Then to-day’s idea among leading makers is to build enduring cars. To cut down cost of upkeep. The best cars now, for years and years, will run as well as new. But R. M. Owen & Co., 30-35 Horsepower Wheel Base— 112 locbes Tires— 34x 4 laches Center Coatrol 15 Roller B Demountable Rims Three Electric Lights 190 Drop Forgings Made with 5 and 2 Passenger Bodies ‘Top and windshi Prest-O-Lite that isn’t so with cars hurried and skimped—cars merely made to sell. Note what it means to build a really honest car. Reo the Fifth is built of steel made to formula—steel that we analyze twice. Its gears are tested in a crushing machine of 50 tons’ capacity. Its springs are tested for 100,000 vibra- tions. Each driving part, as a margin of safety, is 50 per cent overcapacity. We use 15 roller bearings, costing five times as much as common ball bearings. We use 190 drop forgings, to avoid the risk of flaws. A $75 magneto—a doubly-heated carburetor—tires 34 x 4. Parts are ground over and over to get utter exactness. Engines are tested for 48 hours. Cars are built slowly and carefully. There are countless tests and inspections. General Sales ‘Agents for Canadian Factory, St. Catharines, Ont. Every Reo the Fifth marks the best I know after 26 years of car building. New Control And it has the new control. All the gear shifting is done by a single rod between the two front seats. It is done by moving this rod only three inches in each of four direc- tions. There are no levers, side or center. Both brakes are operated by foot pedals. clear. So both front doors are Men are coming to cars built like this. Last year’s demand was twice our factory output. Every man who buys a car for keeps ought to know this car. Write for our catalog and we will direct you to the near- est Reo showroom. They are everywhere. Reo Motor Car Co., Lansing, Mich. Reo the Fifth The 1913 Series ot Included In price. Weequip this car with mohalr top, side curtains and slip cover. windshield, Drackets—all for $100 extra (list price $170). for headlights, speedometer, self-starter, ext-a rim y & Davis Electric Lighting and Starting System at an extra price, if wanted.) comicbooks.com