Life — March 27, 1913 — page 60: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a Packard automobile advertisement disguised as editorial content. The image shows a Packard 38 Phaeton automobile driving through what appears to be a classical Roman arch (the Phaeton of Rome reference), with passengers visible in the car. The caption reads "Ask the man who owns one," which was Packard's actual advertising slogan of the era. The subtitle credits "From the etching by E. Horter," suggesting this is illustrated advertising rather than journalism. For modern readers: This represents early 20th-century luxury car marketing that positioned the Packard as sophisticated and aspirational—literally driving through classical civilization to suggest quality and prestige. The "ask the owner" tagline implied satisfied customers would vouch for the product's excellence.