Life, 1917-03-29 · page 2 of 42
Life — March 29, 1917 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes the Apperson Roadaplane automobile, manufactured by Apperson Brothers Automobile Company in Kokomo, Indiana. The ad's headline—"Smartness Without Extravagance"—targets middle-class buyers seeking stylish vehicles without excessive cost. The illustration shows a well-dressed couple in an open-air car, representing aspirational automobile ownership. The accompanying text emphasizes practical virtues: fuel efficiency, balanced weight distribution, smooth engine performance, and moderate pricing ($1,690-$2,000). The ad encourages readers to visit dealers and test-drive the vehicle. This reflects early 1900s automobile marketing, when cars transitioned from luxury novelties to mass-market consumer goods, emphasizing reliability and value alongside style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ll KK Lief LSNS Ck ED, SSS Zz KKK 7 “a L Vintreed at the Post O%ice at New York. N. ¥..a¢ Second Chee Mail Matter, M Canad Tatered as Secoat St the Post ‘Copyright iu Kanglaat and the SMARTINESS WITHOUT EXTRAVAGANCE slim, graceful car. Its appointments are rich without being conspicuous. It has unusual in- dividuality, yet is free from any tendency toward the bizarre or grotesque. It is roomy—it possesses the gliding motion that the name Roadaplane suggests. Cae is the very essence of this long, In a word, the Apperson Roadaplane has appealed to and been approved by people of taste, discern- ment and ample means, Yet in the face of that fact it is a car of economy. Its first cost is moderate. And the expense of operation is comparatively in- significant, It is true that the Apperson Roadaplane is econom- ical of gasoline and oil. Owners remark upon the notably long mileage from tires, due to equal balance of weights and smooth engine torque. Visit your Apperson dealer. But it is safe to say that a large percentage of Apperson owners have become and remained so year after year, because it is a car they are proud to drive, to be seen in, and to possess as a part of the fine art of living. Beneath the elegance of the Roadaplane exterior is a chassis that is a poem to trained engineers. It may be best described by the motor, 48 to $8 horse power; the lightness, 3,000 pounds ready for the road; the even balance through careful arrangement of weights; the smooth movement due to Apperson hammock swung springs. Apperson Roadaplane prices range from $1,690 to $2,000. Sixes and Eights. Seven, Five and “Chummy Roadster” ( Four passenger) bodies. See and ride in the Roada- plane. Let it prove itself in appearance and performance. APPERSON BROTHERS AUTOMOBILE COMPANY KOKOMO, INDIANA, U. S. A. LEE SALEEM KKK <3