Life, 1915-10-21 · page 6 of 52
Life — October 21, 1915 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is a Packard automobile advertisement, not political satire or a cartoon. It appears in Life magazine and promotes the Packard Twin-Six motor car. The ad emphasizes that the Packard name represents "quality" and claims this wasn't accidental but "planned from the first." The company justifies a price increase—they've raised prices for the 1-35 model (wheelbase 135 inches, $3,150) and 1-25 model (wheelbase 125 inches, $2,750)—by citing rising material costs for leather, aluminum, and steel. The ad asserts Packard maintains quality standards established over sixteen years, positioning the price hike as necessary rather than exploitative. The subheading "Ask the man who owns one" was apparently Packard's actual slogan.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE NAME HIS is no chance condition. striven for. It has been planned from the first, and It is the foundation of Packard supremacy. Packard standards of material, manufacture and design are permanent and authori- tative, and have become a basis for judging motor car values. It is only natural that the most significant contribution to current motor car progress —the Packard “Twin-Six”— should have been produced by a company whose immense resources and facilities are focused in a steady effort toward improvement. \——=EASK THE MAN WHO OWNS ONEQRES/ Since the announcement of the PACKARD TWIN-SIX there has been a tremendous advance in the cost of most of our raw materials, especially leather, aluminum, high grades of steel, etc. We cannot continue present prices except at a loss, It is, of course, out of the question to compromise Packard quality —which has been maintained steadfastly for sixteen years. Consequently we have adopted the only alternative and ad- vanced the prices by the amount of the increase in the cost of materials. These new prices for Packard Twin Six cars cannot and will not be reduced during the current season. They are as follows: The 1-35 — Wheelbase 135 inches. Thirteen styles of open and enclosed bodies. Price, with any open body, f. 0. b. Detroit, $3,150 The 1-25 — Wheelbase 125 inches. Nine styles of open and enclosed bodies. Price, with any open body, f. 0. b. Detroit, $2,750 PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Builders also of the Packard Chainless Motor Trucks ——~ comicbooks.com