Life, 1923-06-07 · page 35 of 44
Life — June 7, 1923 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a straightforward **automobile advertisement**, not political satire or a cartoon. It promotes the Franklin Demi-Sedan, priced at $2,250 (f.o.b. Syracuse), manufactured by the Franklin Automobile Company in Syracuse, New York. The ad emphasizes the car's hybrid design—offering "complete closed car protection" with "unobstructed openness," positioning it as an affordable middle option between open and fully enclosed vehicles. It highlights the "Powerful New Six Motor" and "Beautiful Body Design" while claiming superior "road ability." This represents early 1920s automotive marketing, when closed cars were still relatively new and premium. The Franklin was a real manufacturer known for air-cooled engines and quality vehicles, targeting middle-class buyers seeking luxury features at accessible prices. There is no satirical content here—it's period advertising from *Life* magazine's commercial pages.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The New Demt-Sedan 0 1'2250 h5 FRANKLIN To place the greatest amount of fine automobiling within the reach of the greatest number of people was the inspira tion for this remarkable car—the new Demi-Sedan. s complete closed car protection, unobstructed openness, or anything in between—yet costs only a little more than an open car to buy, and less than the average to run. Its mar- velous road ability excels anything motordom has ever known. Powerful New Six Motor Beautiful Body Design FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, SYRACUSE, N. Y. comicbooks.com