Life, 1913-10-30 · page 39 of 40
Life — October 30, 1913 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **a luxury automobile advertisement**, not satire. The Rauch & Lang Carriage Company advertises their electric car's new "Worm Drive" transmission as "the climax in electric car construction." The page includes two sidebar text boxes praising the vehicle's refinement ("riding in state") and safety features (three types of control systems). The bottom features a decorative historical illustration labeled "Chariot of Pompeia—Wife of Julius Caesar," comparing the car's elegant craftsmanship to ancient Roman coach-building. **For modern readers:** This represents the brief era (early 1900s) when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars. The ad targets wealthy buyers seeking luxury and reliability. The Roman chariot reference emphasizes timeless craftsmanship. Electric cars eventually lost this market battle to cheaper gasoline alternatives. This page documents a forgotten technology that dominated high-end markets before internal combustion engines became dominant.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INT icious, y candy flavor own tin ever Riding in State No reyal coach builder ever lavished more infinite care and pains on a monarch's A standard de- veloped of unceasing endeavor has given Rauch & Lang Elec- trics an unchallenged pres- tige that commends them to those of ultra discernment. It is a matter of many, but how goo urally our production is limited. Three Types of Control For all Driving Necessities Front Control—Rear Con- trol—Combination 1 The latter type is interlock- uso. brakes. Protec- gainst meddling from person seated in rear while car is being operated from nd vice versa, The Lang Control Sys- tem is the most wonderful protective item in the Elec- tric Vehicle World The Climax in Electric Car Construction The New Rauch & Lang Worm Drive Rauch & Lang leadership in the making of electrics is again emphasized i in the adoption of the Worm Drive —the greatest single advancement in the history of the electric car. As utmost beauty and refinement have always dis- tinguished Rauch & Lang Electrics, so does the worm drive mark their continued supremacy in respect to method of propulsion. It excels the advantage of the double chain over the single—of the bevel gear shaft over the double chain. It is the engineering world’s latest and greatest offering in perfect driving mechanism. It means utter simplicity in driving, greatest power- economy, greater all ‘round efficiency, better riding and coasting qualities, no adjustments, no misalignment, and lower up-keep cost. Its silence is soothing. The worm drive is the only practical direct drive in electrics, and the Rauch & Lang Straight Type Worm Drive is superior to all others. Any Rauch & Lang Agent will gladly demonstrate. Catalog mailed on request. THE RAUCH & LANG CARRIAGE COMPANY 2181 West Twenty-Fifth Street Ge veland } assy PEcuipaces | comicbooks.com