Life — June 18, 1908 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or a political cartoon. It promotes the 1909 Packard "Thirty" automobile, featuring a detailed side-view illustration of the touring car model. The ad highlights various body styles available (Touring Car, Runabout, Limousine, Landaulet) and emphasizes that the vehicle is "Manufactured Entirely in the Packard Shops." The price is listed as $4,200 in standard finish. The tagline "Ask the man who owns one" became Packard's famous advertising slogan, positioning the car as a luxury vehicle whose owners could vouch for its quality. This appears in a 1909 *Life* magazine issue, reflecting the early automotive era when cars were expensive luxury goods marketed to wealthy Americans.