Life, 1916-07-06 · page 31 of 42
Life — July 6, 1916 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement for the Liberty Motor Car, positioned as a high-quality, affordable vehicle. The page appears in *Life* magazine, which published both satirical content and paid advertising. The ad emphasizes that the Liberty is an "American Achievement" offering luxury features (Colonial design, comfortable seating, electric starter, powerful brakes) at a reasonable $1,095 price point—positioning it against both expensive luxury cars and cheap competitors. The copy appeals to buyers seeking "economy with discrimination" (taste without excess spending). The illustration shows a well-dressed man in a suit and fedora driving the open-air touring car, suggesting respectability and middle-to-upper-class appeal. The Liberty Motor Car Company, based in Detroit, frames this as a product backed by experienced automobile manufacturers. There is no satirical angle here—this is period automotive marketing emphasizing American engineering and value.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
om book- ed from dressed of unto» HIE LIBERTY CAR An American Achievement: The Liberty is a response to a universal demand for a high-grade small car at a reasonable price, combining the distinction, comfort and ability which usually mark much more costly productions. HE Liberty has been built as a step in ad- vance, and with an exact knowledge of every other car, by men who have been for years associated with the manufacture of large and ex- pensive automobiles here and abroad. It is brought into the small car field by its size and price only, thus meeting the approval not only of owners of costly cars, but of the buyer combin- ing economy with discrimination. The Owner’s Interest This car has been built with the owner always in mind, as is convincingly evident in every de- tail of comfort and performance. Many of the well thought out details are exclu- sive in the Liberty construction. There is that additional room in the driver’s seat which you have always wanted; more comfort in the rear seat; the steering post in exactly the right posi- tion; a clutch so light in operation that your finger can move it; powerful but light operating brakes; a windshield that protects from wind and rain; Liberty Specifications Are a Guarantee of liability and Strength : Wheel Base, 115 inches; six cylinder motor, 3'ex4¥4; electric starti hting and ignition system; single dry plate clutch—exception- ally light in action; gasoline tank of special design with reserve tank incorporated; vacuum feed; powerful brakes, extremely light operating, emergency brake on trans- mission; frame section, five inches; 8, Ro; Bice with Light Blue panels Fourlag weight, 2550 pounds. curtains that fit; wide doors; a spare tire holder solidly put on. You sit in the Liberty, not on it, and you ride in perfect ‘comfort. A very beautiful car, the Liberty is graceful and dignified in design, modeled along chaste Colonial lines. It is a car of remarkable ability and rare smoothness of motion. It is powerful, easy riding, sturdy, and characterized in its perform- ance by that sense of dependability usually asso- ciated only with the largest cars. The Liberty Company Of vital importance to owners is the soundness of the Company behind the car. This Company is composed of men with many years’ automobile experience, who have invested in it to build up an enduring and permanent business. Deliveries are being made now. A complete description will be mailed on request. Five-passenger Touring Car. . . $1095 Four-passenger Close Coupled Car . $1095 Also Enclosed Cars of distinction. 5 Liberty Motor Car Company of Lycaste Ave., Detroit. Distributors also in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. comicbooks.com