Life, 1910-12-15 · page 29 of 44
Life — December 15, 1910 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an automobile advertisement, not political satire. It promotes the Rambler closed car manufactured by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company, positioned as ideal for winter travel and urban errands. The ad emphasizes practical features: weather protection, passenger capacity, smooth transmission allowing slow speeds ("no faster than a man usually walks"), and convertibility—the collapsible top and removable windows allow conversion to an open car for summer. The appeal is to comfort and convenience for middle-class motorists doing shopping, theater visits, and business travel. The detailed specifications (120-inch wheelbase, 45 horsepower, elliptic springs) target consumers interested in mechanical details. This reflects the early automotive era when closed cars were relatively novel luxuries, and manufacturers competed by highlighting weatherproofing and year-round practicality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
____ LIFE: LALA ul odor > Closed Cars in HE Rambler closed car makes a delight of the winter errands. Protected from penetrating winds or storm, it takes you quietly and comfortably to business, theater, shopping or calling. The cab sides, glass front, fore doors and storm curtains protect the occupants of the front seat. Seating capacity inside for five. Trimming, blue broadcloth. Deep upholstery, 120-inch wheel base, Rambler seven-eighths elliptic rear springs, shock absorb- ers and $7x5-inch wheels and tires produce gratifying comfort. The offset crank-shaft and straight-line drive provide flexibility that permits throttling down on high gear no faster than a man usually walks. This avoids much gear shifting and adapts the Rambler closed car to town needs. With its collapsible top and removable windows, the landaulet may be converted into an open car for summer. This feature, its 5x 514 motor, deliv- ering forty-five horsepower, and the large wheels and tires adapt this landaulet also to touring. Rambler closed cars are made in landaulet, limousine, town car and coupe styles. You may inspect them at Rambler branches and dealers stores in principal cities. The Thomas B. Jeffery Company Main Office and Factory. Kenosha, Wisconsin Branches: Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, San Francisco New York Dealers: The Rambler Automobile Co. of New York, 38-40 West 62nd Street, New York