Life, 1910-01-06 · page 69 of 76
Life — January 6, 1910 — page 69: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine. It promotes the Springfield Motor Car Company's luxury vehicle priced at $2,500—positioned as an exclusive, made-to-order automobile for wealthy buyers willing to pay $4,000-$5,000. The ad emphasizes exclusivity and craftsmanship rather than mass production. It notes only "about 100 each year" have been manufactured for three years, appealing to a select clientele who desire custom features unavailable in mass-market cars. The detailed specifications (Vanadium steel frame, Stromberg carburetor, etc.) underscore engineering quality. The layout features technical drawings of the vehicle alongside dense specifications text—typical early-1910s advertising targeting educated, affluent readers interested in automotive engineering details. This represents pre-Model T luxury marketing, before Ford's mass-production philosophy transformed the industry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Here Is a Special Car for a Few Select Buyers bebe Either Standard Touring or Torpedo Bodies—$2500 About three hundred prospective purchasers who have it in mind to pay from four to five thou- sand dollars can “get in” on this made-to-order Springfield for 1910. For the past three years a limited number of these cars (about 100 each year) have buyers who have desired certain features In their cars not to be found in any cars rdless of pric ce the Springfield has come to be known as the “ made-to-order” « Until this sear ro attempt bun been made to canautacture more than. th private sale to the class of buyers to whem a car of this char ‘ason practically no advertising has ever appeared concerning the Sprin ed our facilities and hope to be able to supply in the neighbor- Uiree hundred cars that we manufac ct 2 ers into the titles possible sus to supply > are willing to let the specifications speak of material and the general character of the car. The automobile dealer, familiar with all makes, will Immedia sing iusiration an automobile of the strict de lux mong those whe are in a position to bus t SPECIFICATIONS t teylinder, vertical, water cooled, 5” Wr Brakes: Two ystems. internal expan stroke, type. S Foot brake I" in diameter, Valvent All on one side, interchangeable, operated by 2 T wiih. shaft, and 1 4 of seven passenger, sheet metal Idler ‘Gear, P pols leather, mounted on genuine imported an 3 Qui ‘ elective type. sliding gear, three Steering: Gears Irreversible, 18 wheel, control ard. and. reverse, mounted op. genuine tm ‘mechabism on top of wheel ported F. & § All gears and = Gasoline Capacity: Txeniy gallons under front seat, shafts, of” . Mailer: Our own construction, free and silent, with 00 Rear Axle ressure. Latest design genuine hoveys-comb type, very filcient. t Stromberg, float feed type, auxiliary alr water jacke of heat-tr rome Vanadium steel. pall "bes Large ‘cone type, with ball thrust bearings, ing steeri Te. it tment Frames Pressel steel, reinforced. el a ‘Thread: 5%" Springemt Vanadium steel, semi-elliptic front, three: quarter elliptic re re es fs. yellows, etc, Ignition: Jump. spark, donit coil on dash, stora Wel Batters. doutl em. with genuine Type Dt Tosh Equipment: cil lamps, generator, hora, igs in each cylinder. Hack. tite and repair’ tools ‘automatic oll system, inclosed Pricet bevel gears of heat-treated Correnpondence solicited from a few dealers wha are prepared to give proper place and attention to'a The Springfield Motor Car Co. 310 Monroe St., Springfield, Ill. comicbooks.com