Life, 1916-04-20 · page 33 of 52
Life — April 20, 1916 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not satire or political commentary—it's a **straightforward automobile advertisement** from Life magazine. The page promotes the Studebaker "Four," a 7-passenger vehicle priced at $875. The central image shows the car in an idealized landscape setting. The advertisement's centerpiece is a publicity stunt: "a HUNDRED Studebakers went 4 times around the earth in 48 hours"—a reliability test conducted in November over actual American roads in poor weather conditions. The surrounding photographs document this test across various terrains (muddy roads, snow, mountains). The copy emphasizes that this was a test of **stock cars**, not specially modified racing vehicles, making it relevant to ordinary consumers. The advertisement's message is straightforward: Studebaker vehicles are reliable, powerful, and economical under real-world conditions. This represents early automotive advertising's shift toward data-driven claims rather than pure aesthetic appeal. The $850-$2500 price range indicates this was a mid-range manufacturer targeting middle-class buyers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Pittsburg Car Made a Great Record | Another Road—~That Called for Tare’ Rainstorms Reliabiticy AMudt Like Phat Proved Studedater POWER Thre! the Snovedr(fts on Pike's Feat L.. Proved on the ROADS of America b Oa November—a HUNDRED Studebakers went ““4 times around the earth in 48 hours” =the most convincing STOCK car test that America has ever seen. Tpit man who is going to buy a car, the significance mated Sect Daker Reliability Run can’ not be overesti- tanki for the simple reason that this was a test not of carne tia!ly prepared on a race course—but of aSTOCK fh ind of car YOU geton the very roads YOU use. STUDEBAKER All Prices F. O. R. Detroit From towns scattered all over the country a HUNDRED, Studebakers were started off on a task of making 1/000 miles each ia 48 hours. Weather and roads everywh were far below normal even for November. You have only to glance at the photcgraphs here to appreciate the roads and the weather that they met. Yet over such roads, the 100 cars average. 1/78 miles in 3 hours and 36 minutes, Over such roads they raced along at an average peed of 27% miles. Over such roads they averaged nearly 12 miles to the gallon of gasoline. Over such roads, with 4 to Z passengers, they distanced many of the country's crack "Limiteds.” Oversuch roads they ran along without one car experiencing the slight- est mechanical troubles, Over the ROADS of America, the very roads that Studebaker owners use, Studebaker has overwhelmingly proved its POWER, its flexibility, its stamina and speed and economy. Over the roads of America Studebaker proved {ts unfailing reliability and its undeniable superiority of mechanical design. Studebaker offers a complete line of aigh-crade pleasure ‘and commercial cars from $850 to $2500. Write for 120" illustrated catalog picturing the cars and giving the complete list of prices, Detroit, Mich, South Bend, Ind. Walkerville, Ont. More than 228,000 Stadebaker cars prodoced and sold Address all Correspondenc comicbooks.com