Life, 1911-09-21 · page 50 of 52
Life — September 21, 1911 — page 50: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a straightforward **product advertisement**, not political satire. It's a full-page ad for Franklin Motor Cars, a Syracuse, New York manufacturer, showcasing their automobile lineup. The page displays two car illustrations at top—one dark sedan and one light open-air touring car—representing Franklin's range of models. The text emphasizes Franklin's key selling points: multiple chassis sizes and body styles (priced $1,650–$5,000), luxurious features, and notably, their **air-cooled motor**, which they highlight as their most innovative distinction. The ad targets wealthy consumers, listing various body types: touring cars, roadsters, limousines, and commercial vehicles (trucks, ambulances, taxicabs). There is no satire or political commentary present—this is genuine period advertising typical of Life magazine's revenue model, promoting automobile manufacturing during the early automotive era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FRANKLIN MOTOR CARS ARE MADE IN FIVE CHASSIS SIZES, TWO “FOURS” AND THREE “SIXES”, WITH THIRTEEN STYLES OF OPEN AND ENCLOSED BODIES. THE EQUIPMENT OF ALL OPEN TYPE BODIES INCLUDES WIND SHIELD AND TOP. PRICES ARE F. O. B. FACTORY. 25-HORSE-POWER, FOUR-CYLINDER MODEL G TOURING CAR, $2000. MODEL G RUNABOUT, 18-HORSE-POWER, FOUR-CYLINDER, $1650 SIX-CYLINDER, 30-HORSE-POWER MODEL M, $2800 FOR TOURING CAR, TORPEDO-PHAETON OR ROADSTER. SIX-CYLINDER, 38-HORSE-POWER MODEL D, $3500 FOR TOURING CAR OR TORPEDO-PHAETON. SIX-CYLINDER, 38-HORSE-POWER MODEL H, SEVEN-PASSENGER TOUR- ING, SILVERTOWN CORD TIRES, $4000. MODEL H LIMOUSINE, $5000. 25-HORSE-POWER LIMOUSINE OR LAN- DAULET, $3000. FRANKLIN COMMERCIAL CARS INCLUDE PNEUMATIC-TIRED TRUCKS, LIGHT DELIVERY WAGONS, PATROLS, AMBULANCES, OMNIBUSES AND TAXICABS. BEAUTY OF DESIGN, LUXURIOUS RIDING, LIGHT WEIGHT, GREAT TIRE ECONOMY, ARE DISTINGUISHING FRANKLIN FEATURES. THE MOST NOTABLE FEATURE, HOWEVER, IS THE AIR-COOLED MOTOR AND RECENT IMPROVEMENTS HAVE MADE IT THE MOST REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AUTOMOBILE MOTOR DESIGN. WHEN WRITING FOR OUR NEW CATALOGUE ASK ALSO FOR “THE FRANKLIN ENGINE”. FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY SYRACUSE N Y comicbooks Meal ‘om