Life, 1914-01-01 · page 2 of 44
Life — January 1, 1914 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **car advertisement**, not political satire. The Moon Motor Car Company of St. Louis presents their "Light Weight Six" model, priced at $2,150 for the Torpedo touring version. The "satire" is gentle corporate humor: the company claims they told engineers to "Design the Best Light Weight Six" without worrying about costs—then sarcastically notes engineers loved this "open policy" approach. The ad emphasizes quality engineering standards (Continental engine, Delco electrical systems, Tinken bearings) as proof the company stood behind its promises. The dramatic moon backdrop is purely decorative branding, meant to suggest the car's modern, aspirational appeal to 1914 readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
We told our Engineers — ‘Design the Light Weight 55-50 Best Light Weight Six’ | @ They said, ‘Show about costs?”’ @ We said, ‘‘that’s up to you—go ahead with quality as your , “that’s up to you—g juality as y standard—we’ll talk about cost when the car is designed.” @, This leeway was just what they wanted it started them off with true Torpedo, Four-Passenger engineering enthusiasm. There never was a ‘big’ engineer who (like ‘Youring, Five-Passenger an architect) didn’t hate cost-hamper when he trying to design for Price, Complete quality. $2,150.00 @, They used their leeway to the limit—and when they got through we St Ter OK'd the designs, suggestions and specifications without snipping off a W pireomine penny of legitimate, quality-ensuring expenditure. ‘ 5 7 ” : we h Six or Seven-Passenger @, Here are some of the results of this “open policy” of motor car designing: the'o >, o oy 7 Price, Complete First—The motor is built by the Conti- Third —Timken Bearings. asily nental Mfg. Co. (our design) —with the Fourth--Warner four sj © h: Continental manufacturing Tebcrae train we hi and mo js a goc Fifth—Spice joints, Warner Steering qualit Gear and ‘Timken Bearings. — Motor Th Starting, L aed A te driven tire pump. ee tion System. ‘The only one that bas » Sixth—Specially, or'ginally and beauti sa the test of three years. fully designed Moon bodie vanes that | A Genuine Light Weight Six one. —weighs no more and costs no more to operate than a Four of ers, the same power. Yet—it is no underweight skeleton or miniature fewer of a car—big and roomy and heavy enough to ensure stamina— more a car that stands up r amial The Moon Dealer in Your City of © will be glad to demonstrate Moon quality. If there is no Moon exact man there, write us. You'll never know all the reasons why a Ne Light Weight Six is the car for you until you've seen the Moon MOON MOTOR CAR COMPANY | is by ST. LOUIS, U.S. A vane bette synot Th worl here' ditio tenti port falls is nc pessi ees Ss nte' ae } still, SSE iit = . of it subn comicbooks.com