Life, 1915-05-06 · page 8 of 56
Life — May 6, 1915 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement** for White Motor Cars, not satirical content or a political cartoon. The ad promotes the "White" automobile, emphasizing that its design is so aesthetically superior it eliminates the need for custom-made car bodies—a luxury option wealthy buyers used to pursue. The ad features illustrated scenes of well-dressed people admiring the car and includes a detailed automobile drawing at the bottom. The messaging positions the White as a status symbol, arguing that its inherent elegance establishes "the correct mode" for discerning motorists. The text mentions the company is exhibiting at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, suggesting an early 20th-century publication date.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THE WHITE { G 7 —the car which makes made-to-order bodies unnecessary In all the years of motoring nothing ever awakened such a volume of pleased approval as the latest White. The distinction, the quiet refinement accomplished in the center cowl, which absorbs the always awkward back of the front seat into a line of beauty—a “ripple in the streamline”—naturally received the most comment at first. But now it is realized that the latest White removes all further need of specifying a custom- made body. The White was designed in recognition of the artistic desires of car users, and by its very beauty and exclusiveness it at once established the correct mode. White leadership is a principle It is natural that the established sterling worth of White Motor Cars from the engineering and mechanical standpoint should thus be matched by the incomparable beauty and luxury of the finally-perfect streamline body designs. Grace of appearance is equaled by grace of per- formance—The White engine and mechanical features operating so harmoniously that the gentlest movement or the swiftest speed answer the will of the driver quietly and surely. THE WHITE AGENCY NEAREST YOU WILL ARRANGE FOR YOUR DEMONSTRATION, OR IF YOU WRITE US WE WILL BE GLAD TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENT FOR YOU THE WHITE COMPANY, Cleveland Manufacturers of Gasoline Motor Cars, Motor Trucks and Taxicabs Exhibiting at Transportation Building, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco