Life, 1919-01-30 · page 2 of 34
Life — January 30, 1919 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Michelin tire advertisement**, not political satire. The headline "Universal Usefulness" promotes Michelin's "Universal" tire model as superior to competitors' offerings. The ad addresses a practical automotive concern of the era: tire design. Competitors recommended different tire types for front wheels (smooth "driving" tires) versus rear wheels (non-skid treads), requiring drivers to carry multiple spare tires. Michelin's pitch: their Universal tire works equally well on all wheels due to its broad, flat tread that steers easily despite lacking sharp projections. The ad emphasizes durability and moderate pricing. The illustration shows a vintage open-air automobile with elegantly dressed passengers, typical of 1920s advertising imagery meant to convey modernity and sophistication. This reflects early automotive technology debates before tire standardization.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
universal usefulness Nowadays many tire makers are urging * motorists to use non-skids on rear wheels and smooth-treads or “driving” tires on front wheels. This is necessary because the sharp projec- tions on some non-skids make steering difficult. Not so with the Michelin Universal. Its tread is so broad and flat, it steers as easily as a smooth tread. Use Michelin Universals all around. You will thus secure protection against the dangerous front skid as well as against the rear skid; and at the same time you will avoid the necessity of carrying two kinds of spares. Remember that Michelins are unsurpassed for durability though moderate in price. MICHELIN TIRE CO. Milltown, N. J.