Life, 1917-04-19 · page 29 of 42
Life — April 19, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a political cartoon but a **full-page automobile advertisement** for Studebaker cars, published in *Life* magazine (established 1852). The illustration depicts a vintage open-air touring car from approximately the 1910s-1920s, filled with well-dressed passengers wearing hats. The ad emphasizes "inward beauty"—quality engineering beneath attractive surfaces—claiming Studebaker's cars maintain performance at 50,000 miles as well as at 5,000. Key marketing claims include durability, fuel economy, tire longevity (8,000-10,000 miles per set), and nationwide dealer service (6,500 dealers). The ad highlights that Studebaker manufactures parts in-house for consistency. **For modern readers:** This represents early automotive advertising emphasizing reliability and service networks—concepts still used today, though the specific product claims and pricing ($985-$2,600) are historically dated. The formal illustration style and earnest copy typify early-20th-century corporate messaging.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
#atabliched 1852 The Inward Beauty of Studebaker Cars Bes the beauty of excellent paint and varnish work, of graceful, aristocratic lines, of luxuriously soft upholstery lies the beauty of Studebaker quality. It is this quality, this inbuilt perfection that gives Studebaker cars their wonderful durability, that makes them as good at 50,000 miles as they were at 5,000 miles. Quality produces economy. Studebaker has spent four years in refining, im- proving and perfecting one basic mechanical design, selecting the materials, developing the manufac- turing methods and training men to build this quality into Studebaker cars. All the improvements, all the refinements sug- gested by close study of 300,000 Studebaker cars in actual service all over the world are summed up in the Series 18 Studebakers. In ratio to weight they are the most powerful cars on the market. FOUR. Cylinder Medets Roadster . . . $985 Touring Car . 85 Landau Roadster 1150 Every-Weather Car... . 18S AU prices f. 0. b. Detroit Detroit, Mich. STUDEBAKER Address all correspondence te South Bend In ratio to power they are most economical in gas- oline consumption. Studebaker owners frequently report 8,000 to 10,000 miles per set of tires. The great resources of Studebaker have made it ssible to manufacture practically every part in Studebaker factories. Therefore the car, part for part, is uniformly excellent throughout. The Studebaker car is made by America’s greatest manufacturer of fine automobiles, a company you can always depend upon for service, for prompt and convenient attention, for new parts at reason- able prices any time your motoring needs demand them. Studebaker systematic service rendered to all Stu- debaker owners by the nation-wide organization of 6500 Studebaker dealers insures your permanent service satisfaction. Your local dealer will gladly tell you about Stude- baker systematic service and show you point by point the excellencies of Studebaker cars. SIX Cylinder Models Roadster . . . $1280 Touring Car. 1280 Landau Roadster 1350 Walkerville, Ont. Laoden Kosastet Coupe . . ¥ Limousine ; . 2600 All prices f. 0. b, Detroit comicbooks.com