Life, 1911-02-09 · page 3 of 44
Life — February 9, 1911 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satirical content**—it's a **straightforward advertisement** for the Franklin Automobile Company of Syracuse, NY. The image shows three early 1910s automobiles in silhouette. The accompanying text is promotional copy highlighting Franklin's technical features: air-cooled motors, elliptic springs, lightweight construction, and tire durability. It includes performance records (a 485-mile Los Angeles run) and model descriptions (various six- and four-cylinder options). There is no political satire, social commentary, or humor intended. This represents typical early automotive advertising from *Life* magazine, which carried substantial advertising revenue alongside its satirical content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The new sloping hood, blending perfectly with the body lines, makes the Franklin above all others ‘‘The Car Beautiful:’ The riding ease of the Franklin comes from full-elliptic springs and a chassis frame of laminated wood which take up and absorb road shocks. The wonderful success of the Franklin air-cooled motor in the face of world-wide competition leads many people to predict that all automobile manufacturers will adopt air cooling. Cooling efficiency in the Franklin does not vary in the hottest or coldest climate. In tropical countries, on the hot plains and in mountain climbing, where water-cooled cars overheat, Franklin cars cool perfectly. Four hundred and eighty-five miles in 16 hours, 16% minutes in the Los Angeles- Phoenix desert race; 134.6 miles at a speed of 61.8 miles per hour in the Santa Monica road race; 68 miles in 60 minutes in the Los Angeles Motordrome hour race, are records made by a 1911 thirty-eight-horse-power Franklin in November. Besides saving in weight and complication Franklin air cooling removes all cause for worry, as there is not anything about the cooling to get out of order, freeze, overheat or break down. A Franklin saves two thirds of the usual tire expense and at the same time goes faster and farther in a day than other cars. The secret of Franklin tire service is large tires on a light-weight, easy-riding automobile. So free are Franklins from tire trouble that extra tires are not carried even on long tours. Service from a set of tires is two to four times greater than obtained with other cars. You can buy a Franklin of the size and power best suited to your requirements. There are two six-cylinder cars, Model H, 48 H. P., seven-passenger, and the “‘little six”’ aiiedel D) five-passenger car. Either can be had with four-passenger torpedo-phaeton ies. Model M and Model G are four-cylinder touring cars, 25 and 18 H. P. respectively. The most interesting, high character runabout ever put on any market is the new G. Limousines and landaulets are made in both four- and six-cylinder models. Our special light speed car is unquestionably the king of the road. The universal favor accorded Franklin design is a tribute to be highly prized. FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY Syracuse N Y comicbooks.com