Life, 1912-12-26 · page 31 of 41
Life — December 26, 1912 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **car advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Franklin automobile from Syracuse, New York, circa early 1900s. The page features a side-view illustration of the Franklin Big Six touring car and emphasizes its competitive advantage: it's a large, comfortable vehicle that's surprisingly **light in weight**, making it economical to operate—a key selling point when gasoline was expensive and cars were fuel-inefficient. The headline "A Big Car Need Not be a Heavy Car" directly addresses consumer concerns. Technical features highlighted include an air-cooled motor, wooden frame, and notably, an **Entz Electric Starter**—a significant innovation, as hand-cranking was the standard method. The advertisement positions this as a luxury vehicle for affluent buyers while claiming low operating costs. The page includes pricing information for various models ($2,600-$3,600) and offers promotional literature explaining Franklin's engineering advantages. There is **no cartoon or satire present**—this is straightforward automotive marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Franklin Big Six Model D., 38 H. P. 5-Passenger Touring or 4-Passenger Torpedo-Phaeton $3600. Models H, M and D are equipped with Ents Electric Starter and Lighting System A Big Car Need Not be a Heavy Car The Franklin is Big in Capacity, Comfort, Speed and Service, but light in weight. Therefore it costs little to operate. No other car at any price rides as easily or is as luxurious as the Franklin. This combination of easy riding and luxury, with low operating cost, is due to Franklin Direct Air-Cooled Motor, Light Weight, Wood Frame, Full Elliptic Springs and Large Tires. Entz Electric Starter and Lighting System. Starts the Engine and Keeps it Running. Prevents Stalling Areal SELF Starter, always connected—no buttons, levers, pedals or gears. One switch operates both Magneto and Starter. If the engine slows down toa point where it ordinarily would stall, the starter picks it up and starts it running under its own Interesting Franklin Literature If you want to know why Franklin cars use less gasoline and less oil, wear out fewer tires and especially why Franklin ownere drive 250 to 300 miles per day without fatirue, ask for "An Analyels of Franklin, Motor Car Con struction,” i a book written by our engineers. We will also send any of the following on request. Ask for the one you want. (1) Franklin Catalogue; (2) The Entz Electric Starter and Lighting System; (3) Winning the Desert Race; (4) The Franklin Engine; (3) Franklin Little Six; (6) They Barred Us Out. power, without any action on the part of the driver. Since the storage battery is being continually charged when the engine is running there is always ample current for the Lighting System. Models and Prices M Little Six, Thi 'S passengers... es M Little Six, Thirty, Victoria phaeton, 2 passengers.......$2 G Touring, 4 cylinder, 25 H. $ passengers... G Runabout, 4 cylinde: P., 2 passengers. .... FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, 24 Franklin Sq., SYRACUSE, NEW YORK comicbooks.com —