Life, 1913-11-13 · page 39 of 40
Life — November 13, 1913 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **commercial advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Peerless trucks, manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio. The page showcases an early automotive truck performing impressively on Benguet Hill in the Philippines—apparently a notoriously difficult mountain road. The advertisement claims the Peerless 3-ton truck successfully navigated this terrain while competitors (unnamed foreign trucks) required oversized 5-ton motors and modifications to manage the same load. The dramatic illustration depicts the truck laden with passengers ascending the hill, emphasizing its capability. The text highlights a test allegedly conducted by U.S. Army officials who "sold the truck on the spot," lending credibility through institutional endorsement. For modern readers: this reflects early 1900s industrial advertising emphasizing engineering superiority through dramatic testing claims—a precursor to modern performance marketing. The Philippines reference suggests American commercial/military presence in colonial territories.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PEERLESS Beat Everything i Benguet Hill—the worst in the Philippines HE Peerless is the only stock truck that ever made Benguet Hill without stalling under a capacity load. To carry two tons a well known foreign truck had to be fitted with 5-ton motors and Lt THAT THE NAME IMPLIES ‘TRUCKS n the Philippines a ston radiator. Another truck had a motor from a steam touring car fitted to its jackshaft. Only two makes of touring cars have ever made Benguet Hill with passenger A Peerless 3-ton Truck trom stock carried a 5 per cent overload up Benguet hil without touching low gear and beat the freight train between the start and finish. This test was made by U.S. Army officials and sold the truck on the spot—another—and others. The Peerless Motor Car Company, Cleveland, Ohio Makers also of Peerless Passenger Cars