Life, 1916-10-26 · page 35 of 46
Life — October 26, 1916 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a full-page automobile advertisement from Life magazine (page 729). The Franklin Automobile Company of Syracuse, New York is promoting their cars through advertising copy that emphasizes engineering efficiency and performance. The text highlights specific selling points: superior gasoline mileage, tire durability, lightweight construction, and smooth ride quality. A price list shows models ranging from $1,850 to $3,000. The illustration shows a black sedan with well-dressed figures and a small dog, positioned in front of a residential building—a common advertising convention suggesting reliability and respectability for the middle-class buyer. This represents early 20th-century automotive marketing, when companies competed on technical specifications and economy rather than style or status symbols. The Franklin was an actual luxury car manufacturer (1902-1934) known for air-cooled engines, not a satirical target.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a er ro The FRANK) HAT is there about the Franklin Car that gives an entirely new sense of efficiency to the man who has owned ten other motor cars, and now owns four of different makes? Whatever this thing may be, whatever the factors responsible for it, it can be covered by one general The case and safety of fast driving with the Franklin Car are things that the owner of the average car never ex- periences. You will go more miles to the gallon of gasoline—more miles to the set of tires. The Franklin has always been celebrated as the car of highest eficiency—for economy in operation, for saving in repairs and depreciati erest : ee both term Hood, Abily: ; It is the only scientific light-weight car. A beautifully nihier t is a fact that any man who owns other cars balanced car. A flexible car—with its resilient wood frame r of and a Franklin will find himself always using the and full-elliptic spring suspension. A car that cases itself ive Franklin for his own driving. over the bad spots in the road—no that F a ability as you find ice the - Toad shock to driver of passengers. Franklin Cars is the all-’round abil- A , he new serics Franklin Cars gany ity to show speed, safety, comfort The New Series Franklin Cars are showing even higher efficiency now and economy, in service month ponring, Cer a #1859:00 —20 per cent. more gasoline econo- it to ve a on. ese d to after month and taking road con- ditions as they come. Cabriolet Even the enclosed Franklin Cars ian are showing a higher road ability Town Car than most motorists will dream of Limousine getting out of their open cars of Four-passenger Roadster All Prices F. O. 1850.00 my; 17 per cent. more tire 2650.00 economy. phair . Now, like every other term ever 3000.00 used to describe motor car per- 3000.00 formance, road ability is likely to be misused by the seller of a car, and taken on faith by the casual B. Syracuse whatever make. With the Franklin Car, you s. have a quick get-away. You have speed on the hills. You have maximum speed from place to place—not merely that short burst Letween nearby points, but the hour-in, hour-out maximum average that makes long-distance touring a success. _ The ability of the Franklin Car is an ability you can use without working yourself. buyer. But Franklin road ability can be demonstrated to_your satisfaction by any Franklin dealer, anywhere in the United States. He will demonstrate to you also what every owner already knows—that there is no substitu efficiency in a motor car. FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY SYRACUSE, NY..U.S.A.. comicbooks.com