Life, 1911-01-05 · page 13 of 104
Life — January 5, 1911 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Columbia Motor Car Company advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes the Columbia as a luxury automobile for wealthy, discerning buyers. The ad's main argument is that those of sufficient means and social standing should drive only the best—the Columbia, described as "one of the THREE BEST cars built." It claims most Columbia owners never drive any other car afterward, suggesting exceptional quality and loyalty. The advertisement emphasizes exclusivity: the factory builds only 1,000 cars annually despite capacity for 5,000, implying careful craftsmanship and scarcity value. The decorative heraldic shields and formal layout reinforce the car's association with prestige and aristocratic taste. The company was based in Hartford, Connecticut.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fore-door Six-Passenger Roadster “One of the THREE BEST cars built.” Those who can afford to choose, those whose position forbids that they should have anything second-best, drive the Columbia car. Most Columbia owners have never driven any other car since buying their first Columbia. Built in a factory equipped to build 5000 cars, but in which only 1000 are built each year—these with infinite care. Our new catalogue tells the story. THE COLUMBIA MOTOR CAR COMPANY HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Licensed under Selden Patent comicbooks.com