Life, 1916-11-23 · page 39 of 40
Life — November 23, 1916 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the 1917 Cole-Springfield "Toursedan," a convertible automobile with a removable hard top. The key innovation being advertised is the car's convertible design: it functions as a fully enclosed, heated vehicle in winter but converts to an open-air car in warm weather by removing windows and roof panels "almost instantly" with "no work—no dirt—no confusion." The accompanying illustration shows well-dressed passengers demonstrating the vehicle's practical versatility. The marketing emphasizes luxury features (floor heater, smooth 70-horsepower engine) appealing to affluent buyers. For modern readers: this represents early automotive advertising targeting wealthy consumers, highlighting technological advancement and seasonal convenience as selling points when automobiles were expensive luxury goods, not mass-market transportation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Winter or Summer— the Ideal Car To all purposes and appearances the Cole-Springfield Toursedan is a permanently enclosed car. It is proof against wind or weather. It has all the refinements—all those little conveniences and extra touches of luxury that add so much to closed car comfort. You'll even find a floor heater that can be turned on and off at will. No car could be better adapted for use in winter weather. Yet at the first warm breath of spring you can make it an open car, Windows—sashes and all—are stored completely out of sight. ~The change is made almost instantly. No work—no dirt—no confusion. The Toursedan has the famous Cole chassis—the largest, yet relatively the lightest Eight built. Its giant 70 horsepower eight cylinder motor com- bines power and speed in abundance with un- approached quiet and smoothness. Let the nearest Cole dealer demonstrate for you. Four Passenger Cole-Springfield Tourcoupé 5. Seven Passenger Cole-Springfield Toursedan » s 8 7 Passenger Cole Eight Touring Car yok & 4 Passenger Cole Eight Tuxedo Roadster 9) tt All prices f. 0. b. Factory. Cole Motor Car Company, Indianapolis, U. S. A. Cole-Springfield Body Made in Springfield Mass, comicbooks.com