Life — September 7, 1911 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a **straightforward advertisement** for the Packard Motor Car Company from 1912. The ad promotes Packards as the dominant choice among American tourists in Europe, citing statistics from the Paris edition of the New York Herald showing 53% of American-driven cars were Packards. Additional data from the Hotel Elton in Waterbury, Connecticut supports this claim, noting Packards appeared nearly twice as frequently as any other make. The appeal is to affluence and status: elegance, reliability, and international prestige. The illustration shows a 1912 Packard "Six" Phaeton—a luxury touring car typical of the era's high-end automobiles.