Life, 1910-12-15 · page 31 of 44
Life — December 15, 1910 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straight automobile advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The Columbia Motor Car Company (Hartford, Connecticut) is marketing their 1911 vehicles as luxury products for the wealthy and socially elite. The ad's appeal is explicitly **snobbish**: it claims that only those of superior "birth, tradition, environment and character" use Columbia cars. The company distinguishes itself through *scarcity* (only 1,000 cars built annually in a 5,000-capacity factory) rather than mass production—a reverse-engineering of exclusivity as a selling point. The phrase "one of the THREE BEST cars built" references contemporary automotive rankings; Columbia positioned itself among elite manufacturers. The decorative heraldic borders and formal typography reinforce the aspirational, aristocratic messaging. This reflects early-1900s automotive marketing when cars were still luxury goods for the wealthy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“One of the THREE BEST cars built.” Those who are satisfied only with the best use Columbia cars. Birth, tradition, environ- ment and character forbid their accepting less. Columbia cars have held this regard for sixteen years—from the beginning of the motor car, in fact. Built in a factory big enough to build 5000 cars, in which only 1000 cars are built annually — these with infinite care. Our new 1911 catalogue shows body styles and gives you complete mechanical information. THE COLUMBIA MOTOR CAR COMPANY HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Licensed under Selden Patent 1119