Life, 1912-01-11 · page 6 of 40
Life — January 11, 1912 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward **automobile advertisement** from Life magazine, circa 1912. The image shows a Thomas "Six-Forty" Vestibuled Limousine (model S5150), a luxury passenger vehicle. The ad includes a company seal and "Thomas Declarations (No. 4)," where E.R. Thomas Motor Car Company asserts their vehicle offers superior refinements for "pleasure, comfort and convenience." The text lists specifications: two chassis sizes (134 and 126 inch wheelbase), four body styles (seven-passenger touring car, five-passenger phaeton, four-passenger surrey, two-passenger runabout), priced at $4,000 each. **No political or social satire is present.** This is period advertising marketing an early automobile as a premium luxury product.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THOMAS.“ SIX-FORTY’ VESTISULED LIMOUSINE TECHNICAL SERVICE wer THOMAS OWNERS THOMAS DECLARATIONS (No. 4) We assert that the 1912 Thomas Six-Forty goes further than any other car into the important details, known as refinements, which are intended to enhance the pleasure, comfort and convenience of the owner, the passengers and the operator. Two Chassis 134 inch and 126 inch wheel base Four Styles of Open Bodies —Seven Passenger Touring Car—Five Passenger Phaeton — Four Passenger Surrey —Two Passenger Runabout Price, $4000.00 for each type Enclosed bodies are built for both chassis and full details are given in our catalogue— “The Story of the Thomas,” which awaits your request. E. R. THOMAS MOTOR CAR COMPANY, Dept.G. BUFFALO