Life, 1911-02-02 · page 33 of 52
Life — February 2, 1911 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine's advertising section. The page promotes the Rambler, manufactured by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The illustration shows an early 1900s open-air motorcar with four passengers enjoying a scenic drive. The accompanying text is earnest marketing copy detailing the vehicle's comfort features: large wheels, springs, shock absorbers, spacious seating, quality upholstery, spare wheel, and safety mechanisms. Notable is the claim that a telephone call to a Rambler representative will bring a demonstration car to your door—an early form of customer service marketing. The ad emphasizes reliability and comfort as selling points to early automobile buyers, reflecting the era when cars were luxury goods requiring reassurance about safety and ease of operation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OMFORT in the Rambler has been attained by careful study of owners’ preferences. Forty-inch wheels, big tires, and 128-inch wheel base neutralize the inequalities of the road. Seven-eighths elliptic springs and shock absorbers soften the impact of the jolts and limit reaction. The distance between the seats and the floor is just right, and the steering pillar may be ad- pitied to suit the comfort of the operator. The leather and hair used for upholstering is that found in the finest club furniture. The Spare Wheel removes worry about tire trouble. The brakes, being larger than neces- sary, provide a feeling of security. The safety starting device protects you from injury while cranking. The off- set crank shaft and straight line drive enable slow driving on high gear in crowded traffic, and obviate the neces- sity of rushing the hard pulls through sand and up grades. TTT TTT In principal cities, a telephone message to the Rambler representative will bring a car to your door for in- spection, A postal will bring you the Rambler magazine. 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 TMU LEC A ST Tn Tin MT LTT OT 307 comicbooks.com