Life, 1913-11-06 · page 39 of 56
Life — November 6, 1913 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straight advertisement**, not satire or political cartoon. It promotes the Detroit Electric car for 1914, marketed to affluent buyers. The ad emphasizes three selling points—Independence, Privacy, and Luxury—appealing to wealthy consumers who could afford chauffeurs or limousines. The vehicle offers the comfort of a limousine without employing a driver, personal privacy for family conversations, and silent, clean electric operation (avoiding tire troubles and engine noise associated with gasoline cars). The illustration shows a well-dressed couple in an enclosed electric brougham outside an elegant neoclassical building, establishing the target demographic: upper-class Americans seeking personal transportation without servants. The pricing ($2,500-$3,000 in 1914 dollars) confirms this was luxury goods for the wealthy. The Anderson Electric Car Company was indeed a major manufacturer of electric vehicles before the gasoline engine became dominant post-1920s.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Independence—Privacy—Luxury Independence of a chauffeur—his hours and meals. Privacy of personal conversation with your own family or social set. All the Luxury of the Limousine without fear of tire troubles, with the added ad- vantages of cleanliness, silence and the Pleasure of driving your own car. There is just one grade of Detroit With Bevel Gear Axle: Victoria 4-pass. Bronghain Rear Seat Drive S-pass. Brougham Front Seat Drive tric cars. When you purchase a Detroit ‘lectric you own the best that the world affords. Why be satisfied with any but the highest type of electric automobile built— especially when you get the benefit of the moderate prices made possible by our large volume of business—the result of efficient manufacturing methods. Note our 1914 prices :— With Worm Gear Axle: Gentlemen's Roadster $2500 4-pass. Brougham Rear Seat Drive 2850 spas. Brougham Detroit Duplex Drive 3000 (Prices f. 0, b. Detroit) Our line is represented in 155 cities. You will find our representatives courteous, substantial business men, worthy your confidence on automobile matters. Our new catalog for 1914, illustrating 7 models, in full colors, sent upon request. ANDERSON ELECTRIC CAR COMPANY, Detroit, U. S. A. Builders of “The Detroit Electric” Largest manufacturers of electric pleasure vehicles in the world. ——_ comicbooks.com