Fun thing to think about: 1912 was Chevrolet’s first full year on the market. Now, 111 years later, Chevrolet is still around, but most of the brands seen below are not. It’s odd to think that this gallery is filled with the cars that Chevrolet buyers in 1912 either passed on, or simply could not afford.
Take special note of the Michigan ad. Until I read this particular advertisement, I was not aware that cars were lumped into categories based on horsepower. Or, maybe they weren’t. The auto industry was still evolving, and comparisons between brands were often difficult to make, as many of these cars were sold regionally, and could not be easily had in every market.
And, reviewing the ads below, it occurs to me that Detroit Electric would make a fine brand to bring back into action.
The Cars of 1912
American
Detroit Electric
Five Great Car Logos—For Tattoos
Fiat
Favorite Car Ads: 1959 Rolls-Royce
Flanders
Market Crash Madness! A Gallery of Depression-Era Car Ads
Haynes
Big-Top Madness! Clowns in Classic Car Ads
Havers
Droëwors Madness! A Gallery of Classic South African Car Ads
Michigan
Dead-Brand Madness! 10 Classic DeSoto Ads
Pope-Hartford
National-Pastime Madness! A Gallery of Baseball-Themed Auto Ads
Stevens-Duryea
Listen to the very-entertaining Car Stuff Podcast
Cars of 1912 Gallery
Click below for enlarged images.
Cars of 1912
Streamline Madness! A Gallery of Automotive Aerodynamics in Print Ads
Cars of 1912
