Life, 1906-05-10 · page 26 of 26
Life — May 10, 1906 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not satirical content but a straightforward automobile advertisement for the Franklin Type D automobile, manufactured in Syracuse, New York. The page features a detailed illustration of the open-air touring car and promotional text emphasizing its engineering advantages. The ad argues that Franklin's air-cooled engine design outperforms heavier, more expensive competitors. Key selling points include: superior power-to-weight ratio, better fuel economy (18 miles per gallon), lower tire costs, and refined handling. The five checkmarks ("Ability," "Comfort," "Safety," "Style," "Cost") highlight claimed advantages. The pricing ranges from $1,400 to $4,000 depending on model. This represents mainstream automotive marketing of the 1920s, when competing engine technologies (air-cooled versus water-cooled) were actively debated among manufacturers and consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SY \ A: May 10, p36 Type D $2800 Four-cylinder air-cooled motor. ‘Three speed sliding gear transmission. jer on dash, 100-inch wheelbase. 1800 pounds. 45 miles per hour, Full head- and tail: Ability v Safety V Style Y Comfort ¥ Cost ¥ “Check up” this car, point by point, with the highest-powered, highest- priced, heavy weight cars and you'll still have points left over in its favor that put Franklin Type D ahead of them all. You cannot use more power and speed on American roads than Type D gives you all the time—on all grades, The motor never ovetheats—the Franklin auxiliary exhaust prevents that, and prevents the compression-lea and lost power common in standard cylinders. ‘The Franklin wood sills and four full-elliptical springs, by absorbing road shocks, prevent the great loss of power through vibration which occurs in cars with half springs or metal frames. And the power has less weight to carry owing to the absence of water-cooling appliances, to the refinement of engine design, and to the free use of nickel-steel. ‘The refined engineering and shock-absorbing construction pro- duce an amount of steady, continuous power not exceeded by any “30 horse-power” car on any road. Thev give a complete, luxuri- | ous comfort not found in equal degree in any other type of car. ‘They result in a usable ability on American roads which is not ed by any other car no matter what its rating or price. is no stronger, more durable car in existence than this Franklin Type D. There are few so easily handled, so flexible of control, so ready and safe. This car has the luxurious upholstery and wide, roomy capacity of the best and latest touring-car designs, fine carriage-making, perfect finish, complete appointments, and a rich and tasteful modernness in every line. But it is without the unnecessary bulk and weight which mean excessive operating-expense and tire-cost. It weighs only 1800 pounds, and will run 18 miles on a gallon of gasoline or 200 miles on a gallon of lubricating oil. And its saving of tires makes it cost less for what it does than any other car ever built. Write for the book which describes it in detail. Four-cylinder Runabout $1400 Four-cylinder Light Touring-car $1800 Four-cylinder Touring-car $2800 Six-cylinder Touring-car $4000 f. 0. b. Syracuse H. H. FRANKLIN MFG. CO.,, Syracuse, N.Y., M.A.L.A.M. VYeess of Mevelely Brothers, Mew Fork