Life, 1910-12-08 · page 33 of 44
Life — December 8, 1910 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page automobile advertisement**, not satire or political content. The McFarlan Motor Car Company advertises their "Six" model for $2,100, emphasizing engineering credentials rather than price competition. The ad highlights a racing victory: their chassis won a 200-mile Indianapolis race without mechanical failure, achieving "17 Miles To Every Gallon of Gasoline"—positioning fuel efficiency as a luxury selling point. The company stresses that contest vehicles are identical to consumer models, establishing reliability credibility. The "Why McFarlan Can Make the Price" section targets affluent buyers moving *up* from cheaper four-cylinder cars. McFarlan claims efficiency through direct ownership (minimal overhead, no external advertising), positioning the $2,100 price as competitive for a six-cylinder vehicle. **For modern readers**: This reflects 1910s automotive culture where racing success directly sold cars, and early-adopter wealth consumers sought engineering proof of quality rather than mass-market affordability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
sin any SixColinder, 356 x 4 inches; Unit Power Plant ; True 3-Point Suspension; Multiple Dise Clutch: 120-inch Wheel Base inch Wheels; Full Scroll Head Elliptic Springs in rear; Semi-Elliptic front er; Mohair Top. Price Comple' trimmed throughout with best Hair and Lea! 24 Painting Operations in finish an: $2100. Six-Cylinder Motor. The chassis of the above car is identical with the one that made 200 miles in the Indianapolis Motordrome September 6th in 183 minutes and fifteen seconds, making 17 Miles To Every Gallon of consumed. A McFarlan-Six was the only car in a field of twelve in this 200-mile race to finish without tire trouble of any kind. This same car won among other important events, Ist and 2nd in the free-for-all handicap at Atlanta, Ga., November 4th. The Cincinnati Enquirer in commenting ‘Why McFarlan Can We have been building six-cylinder cars ex- _ pe sively for a number of years in our large advert Pant. We have practically none of that enor- Rous expense termed “ overhead.” This bus- ites is owned, conducted and managed by us. We have practically no administration ex- ising. nd this year for the first time we are We know we have the maximum of motor car perfection in the McFarlan-Six at a price to fit the pocketbooks of those who heretofore have bought popular priced fours Gasoline on the 200-mile race at Atlanta, Nov. 7th, says: ‘The Marquette-Buick, the Lozier and the McFarlan were the only cars in the race that had no mechanical trouble of any nature, and the latter had no trouble whatsoever.” The cars entered in all contests by us are absolutely stock, the very car, in every particular, the buyer gets. Make the Price Write for large illustrated folder showing all models—Touring Cars, Roadsters. Pony Ton- neau, Torpedo Bodies, etc. This folder also gives some interesting and convincing compar- ative cylinder statistics you should possess be- fore you buy any car. McFarlan Motor Car Company Desk H, Connersville, Indiana Builders of the Six-Cylinder Cars Exclusively