Life, 1905-04-27 · page 26 of 26
Life — April 27, 1905 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page promotes Franklin motor cars manufactured in Syracuse, New York, for the 1905 model year. Two vehicles are illustrated—a light touring car (top) and a larger passenger model (bottom)—shown in pastoral countryside settings. The advertisement emphasizes Franklin's technological innovations: air-cooling, four-cylinder engines, mechanically operated valves, and adjustable timing gears. These features were marketed as enabling superior speed, efficiency, and low maintenance compared to competitors. The text references a cross-country journey from San Francisco to New York completed in under 33 days, apparently demonstrating the vehicles' reliability and performance. Six models are offered, ranging from 20 to 30 horsepower. This is straightforward product advertising typical of early automotive industry marketing—no satire or political content is present. The rural illustrations simply convey aspirational leisure and freedom associated with automobile ownership in this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The speed. efficiency, lightness. perfection of control and economy of maintenance made theoretically” possible by ERANAEIN air-cooling and four-cylinders are developed into actual daily performance by the most skilful engineering and highest refinement of ast ii. s; mechanically operated valves— j timing gears adjustable in two roller bearin id light r ity, comfort and safety, in proportion to cost, ever attained in ar The Franklin Light Touring Cars (pi ar : passengers faster, more comfortably and tor less t 18 to 20 horse Six Models for 1905 orms of Light Touring Cars (picture below)— oH. P. Tou 0 H. P. Tourins an Francisco to New York in less than 33 days. H. H. FRANKLIN. MEG. ‘Co. Syracuse, N. Y. Member Association Licensed Automobile Manufacturers comicbooks.com