Life, 1913-05-15 · page 50 of 52
Life — May 15, 1913 — page 50: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **tire advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The B.F. Goodrich Company promotes their "Unit Molded Tires" through the slogan "You really ride on Goodrich Tires." The two illustrated figures at top appear to be **working-class men**—possibly a mechanic and a motorist—establishing credibility through relatable personas rather than celebrity endorsement. The central image displays four tire cross-sections of varying sizes. The ad emphasizes manufacturing quality ("the tire itself makes good") and claims high demand: 175,000 new cars were pre-ordered with Goodrich tires as of January 1913. The copy stresses durability and service availability through Goodrich's dealer network. This represents early **automotive advertising strategy**: building consumer confidence through technical explanation and testimonial-style endorsement rather than purely emotional appeals. The page reflects the nascent American auto industry circa 1913.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
You really ride on Goodrich Tires VERY Goodrich Tire is a ‘‘first.” You always know when you buy Goodrich Tires that you are getting all the “best” that can be put into tires, and that you will get || that ‘‘best” from them. Any car that you own or buy will be equipped with Goodrich | Tires if you simply specify them. boa — GOODRICH wctre: TIRES | BEST IN THE LONG RUN It is the Goodrich principle of Unit Molding which makes each Goodrich Tire—tread, body and all— a single, layerless structure full of life and durability. *| Goodrich Unit Molded Tires “make good” for themselves 1 The usual guarantee goes with each Goodrich Tire, j but remember that the lire itself makes good. Unit en Molding puts the guarantee in the tire—gives it the liveliness and road-resisting quality which insure al you the long, continuously-uniform wear and service which you rightfully expect. We are keeping up with the great demand for Goodrich Tires Orders for Goodrich Tires to equip 175,000 of 1913’s new cars came in before January Ist. These and other preliminary orders indicated to us what the demand would be and we prepared to handle it. Tell your dealer you want Goodrich Tires and you will get them. There is nothing in Goodrich Advertising that isn’t in Goodrich Goods ‘ Goodrich dealers, Goodrich branches and Goodrich service stations are alertly ready to satisfy the wants of the tire user immediately. You can get any size or style in Goodrich Tires—but only one kind and quality. Write for our free folders telling you how to get the best service from any tire. The B. F. Goodrich Co. Everything That's Best in Rubber Branches and Service Stations in all Factories: Principal Cities—Dealers everywhere Akron, Ohio comicbooks.com