Life, 1911-10-26 · page 48 of 50
Life — October 26, 1911 — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement for Franklin automobiles, not satirical content. It appears in *Life* magazine and promotes Franklin cars' key selling points to early automotive consumers. The ad emphasizes that Franklin vehicles are exceptionally gentle on tires—claiming tire service needs are three to four times *greater* than competitors, meaning tires last longer, reducing owner expenses. This addresses a genuine consumer concern of the era, when tire costs were substantial. The advertisement lists multiple models with various engine sizes (four and six-cylinder options), prices ranging from $1650 to $5000, and body styles (touring cars, roadsters, limousines). It highlights Franklin's distinctive air-cooling technology and light weight as luxury features. The illustration shows a side-profile of a Franklin touring car, a typical early 1900s automobile design. This is straightforward commercial advertising rather than political satire or editorial cartooning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ARE YOU SEEKING RELIEF FROM TIRE BILLS? FRANKLIN CARS SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. SO EASY ARE THEY ON TIRES THAT TIRE SERVICE IS THREE TO FOUR TIMES GREATER THAN ON OTHER CARS. WE HAVE A TABULATED REPORT ON TIRE SERVICE FROM MANY OWNERS AND WILL MAIL IT ON REQUEST. FRANKLINS ARE MADE IN FIVE CHASSIS SIZES, TWO “FOURS” AND THREE “SIXES”. 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. ALL PRICES F. O. B. FACTORY. FRANKLIN COMMERCIAL CARS INCLUDE PNEUMATIC-TIRED ONE-TON TRUCKS, 1000-POUND LIGHT DELIVERY WAGONS, PATROLS, AMBU- LANCES, OMNIBUSES AND TAXICABS. AIR COOLING, LIGHT WEIGHT, LUXURIOUS RIDING AND BEAUTY ALSO CHARACTERIZE THE FRANKLIN. THE EFFICIENCY OF FRANKLIN AIR COOLING HAS LONG BEEN ESTABLISHED. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FRANKLIN MOTOR MAKE IT THE MOST REMARKABLE DEVELOP- MENT IN AUTOMOBILE MOTOR CONSTRUCTION. WRITE TODAY FOR NEW CATALOGUE. FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY SYRACUSE N Y comicbooks.com