Life, 1911-04-06 · page 55 of 76
Life — April 6, 1911 — page 55: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement disguised as editorial content. The page announces the reorganization of the E. R. Thomas Motor Car Company, a Buffalo-based automobile manufacturer, under new leadership drawn from Detroit's Packard Motor Car Company. The text lists five executives (Chalfant, Humpage, Gleason, Ramsey, and others) who've relocated to revitalize the struggling Thomas company. The advertisement emphasizes their credentials, the company's financial stability, and technical service commitments to reassure potential buyers of the Model M Six Cylinder Car, priced at $4,000. The silhouette illustration shows an open-air touring automobile typical of the 1910s era. **For modern readers:** This represents early automotive industry consolidation and executive mobility—experienced managers transplanted to rescue a failing competitor, with marketing language emphasizing reliability and after-sale service as key selling points in a competitive emerging industry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eB eh EEC THE STORY OF The New E. R. Thomas Motor Car Company "[O effect a thorough reorganization of the E.R. Thomas Company, a complete executive organization has been transplanted bes the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit to the Thomas Plant at Buffalo. Fifteen men who have worked together in one plant, with one common ‘aim and who have aided in the upbuilding of the greatest motor car_organization in the world, now control the destinies of the reorganized E. R. Thomas Motor Car Company. E. P. CHALFANT, the President, heads the marketing and publicity departments; F. R. HUMPAGE, Vice-president and General Manager, is responsible for the manufacturing and purchasing; W. L. GLEASON, as Factory Manager, is in charge of production; J. J. RAMSEY is Treasurer, and attends to financial affairs. These men have given up important positions to devote their entire energies to the development of the Thomas Company and the refinement of the Thomas Car. With its ample financial resources this organization assures to the automobile buyer a car as thoroughly good as knowledge and skill can make it, and with every car sold the Thomas Company pledges a thorough and complete technical service to the owner throughout the entire life of his car. ¢ unceasing effort of the Thomas organization will be to produce a high powered car of the highest class and to develop and refine each model along the most advanced lines cf sound engineering practice. As an example of what we mean we ask your critical inspection at our nearest dealer's of the THOMAS MODEL M SIX CYLINDER CAR COMPLETELY EQUIPPED, $4000 We shall be glad to put you in touch with this dealer. Li (et ce on comicbooks.com