Judge — October 6, 1928 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This cartoon satirizes early automobile reliability, specifically Ford vehicles. A farmer stands amid wreckage—scattered auto parts, wheels, and debris—examining a wrecked car with a broken axle or steering component. In the background, other figures observe from a fence. The caption reads: "FARMER—By th' way, mister—how is th' new Ford?" The joke targets the Ford's notorious mechanical problems and poor durability. Despite Henry Ford's reputation for producing affordable mass-market automobiles, early Fords were frequently unreliable. The cartoon mocks this contradiction: the farmer sarcastically asks about the "new Ford" while surrounded by evidence of catastrophic failure, suggesting that owning a Ford meant constant breakdowns and repairs rather than reliable transportation.