Life, 1917-06-28 · page 6 of 39
Life — June 28, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It contains two advertisements for Smith Form-a-Truck, a modular truck bed system that could be attached to various car chassis (Ford, Chevrolet, Maxwell, Buick, Dodge Brothers). The top illustration shows the truck attachment mechanism. The bottom photograph depicts an actual Form-a-Truck converted vehicle used by "Loble Piano Co." for delivery service in what appears to be the 1920s. The advertising copy emphasizes practical business benefits: cost efficiency, versatility across multiple vehicle makes, and superior hauling capacity compared to horse-drawn equipment. This reflects early automotive commerce when businesses were rapidly transitioning from horses to motorized delivery. There is no political satire or social commentary evident on this page.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Smith Form-a-Truck °350 23 Ford Also Chevrolet and Max- well with 1%-ton capac- ity for Dodge Brothers, Buick, Overland, $410. All prices F. 0. B. Chicare Shaded portion of illustration shows Smith Form-a-Truck attachment which is bolted to power plant of car used in conversion. This makes a permanent truck construction. Your Business Requires Smith Form-a-Truck which in every line of work has demonstrated indisputable superiority? Smith Hon long can you afford to be without a hauling and delivery service Form-a-Truck combines with any Ford, Maxwell, Buick, Dodge Brothers, Chev- rolet or Overland power plant to make a fully guaranteed truck. It will convert any new or used car of these six makes into a productive asset, earning money for you. Do your work at a cost, including initial cost of operation, so low that the sale of your present equipment, if you are using horses, will more than cover the entire outlay. You can immediately estimate a saving of from 40% to 60% in your hauling or delivery if you replace any other form of doing your work with Smith Form-a-Truck. More Smith Form-a-Trucks have been sold than all motor truck attachments combined, or than any other make of motor car. Over 650 lines of business are represented among Smith Form-a-Trucks users. Write for our engineering analysis of your own delivery and hauling problems. Place your hauling and delivery on a basis of definite economy. SMITH MOTOR TRUCK CORPORATION Manufacturers of Smith Form-a-Truck Executive Offices and Salesroom: Smith Form-a-Truck Building, Michigan Blvd. at 16th Street, Chicago Eastern Branch, 109 West 64th Street, New York Kansas City Branch, 1808 Gra Soathera Branch, 120 Marietta Sine, Atlaote GENT brash, 120 King Street Eat Torecto, Canada—Price, $450 f. 0. b. Toronto comichook sc om