Life, 1916-06-29 · page 5 of 41
Life — June 29, 1916 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising**, not satirical content. It's a full-page advertisement for the Apperson Roadaplane, manufactured by Apperson Brothers Automobile Company in Kokomo, Indiana. The illustration depicts a fantastical vehicle combining automobile and aircraft features—a car with an airplane wing mounted above it, shown carrying passengers while small aircraft fly nearby. This reflects early-1900s optimism about emerging aviation technology. The advertising copy emphasizes the vehicle's innovative engineering: a powerful, quiet motor; exceptional lightness; advanced suspension ("Downy cushions"); and fuel efficiency. The copy positions the Roadaplane as revolutionary transportation representing progress and freedom ("safe Mother Earth"). There is no political satire present—this is straightforward automotive marketing from the era when aviation-automobile hybrids represented technological aspiration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Apperson Roadaplane is the newest self-propelled sensation, It is to road travel what the Acro- plane is to the sky and the Hydro- plane to water. It smooths out all roads, banishes for all time all mechanical troubles, and shatters to a hundred fragments all former motor-car limitations. To ride in this marvel gives you the buoyancy of air support, and when at the wheel you unconsciously feel the satisfaction of being the mas- ter of seventy, mile-a-minute wings. You get all the aeroplane thrills and sense of limitless freedom on safe Mother Earth, Man, during all his time on earth, never experienced the riding sen- sations equal to the Roadaplane. Here is an absolutely frictionless car—the Roa fairly floats ong so free from all friction. Here is a piece of mechanism so perfectly attuned that you are un- conscious of any mechanical effort whatever, It is in this important re- spect that the Roadaplane als air craft. Here is a motor that challenges the most acute it is so noiseless, so free from the slightest vibration—truly the work of master- men, Here is a car so exact in weight, so carefully balanced, that it is not a_matter of mere pounds but ounces. The Roadaplane 0 exacting in proportions that it is necessary to reduce its weight to pounds and ounces to fit it to the new standard required. Here is a car so miserly in the use of gasoline that mileage records surpass all previous performances. Here is a car so light on its feet that tire-life is prolonged to a time heretofore thought impossible. Truly, the Apperson Roadaplane cre- ates a new style of horseless travel. And, it is not only because of a new mechanical standard that the Roadaplane now is separated from all types of automobiles. It is equally advanced in drawing- room appointments. Downy cushions give each passen- ger a feeling of complete relaxation and nerve repose. Fatigue is w known here. he long Ahammock- like springs gently absorb all roa shocks. Patented cushion springsmake riding enjoyable for hours and hours. The Roadaplane represents the last word in body. construction and is most complete in its accessory equi ment and in the adoption of every comfort and labor-saving device im- aginable. ‘The Apperson Roadaplane opens a new chapter in the history of motor travel. Find out what we have done by writing for “The Roadaplane Book,” which gives complete details of these epoch-making cars. The Roadaplane is made in six and cight-cylinder models. The seven- passenger touring and the famous four-passenger Chummy roadster bodies are mounted on cither chassis The cight-cylinder model (either touring car or Chummy roadster) is $2000. The six-cylinder model (tour- ing car or Chummy roadster) is $1750. All prices f.0. b. Kokomo, Ind. APPERSON BROTHERS AUTOMOBILE CO. KOKOMO, INDIANA comicbooks.com