Life, 1911-05-25 · page 6 of 42
Life — May 25, 1911 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward advertisement for Packard Motor Trucks, appearing in *Life* magazine circa 1910. The ad promotes a truck operated by Yawman & Erbe Manufacturing Company in Rochester, New York. The key sales pitch is **economic efficiency**: one Packard truck replaced four horse-drawn teams while costing only $9.92 per day versus $20 daily for the teams it displaced. The illustrated truck showcases the vehicle's capacity and modern design. The ad emphasizes Packard's growing market presence (122 trade lines, 162 cities) and customer loyalty (43% of buyers purchase additional trucks). This reflects early automotive advertising's focus on **demonstrable cost savings** to convince businesses to adopt motorized transport over traditional horse power.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"THIS truck has been operated ona rigid schedule since Sept. 1, 1910. It has re- placed four teams previously required to do the same amount of hauling. The four teams used to cost us $20a day. The one Packard truck costs us $9.92 a day. Yawman & Erbe Mfg. Co., Rochester, N. Y. Bse MOTOR TRUCKS FTER using one Packard truck six months the Yawman & Erbe Mfg. Co. bought another. Forty-three per cent of all sales of Packard trucks are additional trucks ordered by previous purchasers. Packard trucks are now used in 122 lines of trade and in 162 cities. All truck owners are extended Packard service by Packard dealers, the same as that provided for owners of Packard cars. Write for catalog and important truck information Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit comicbooks.com