Life, 1919-03-13 · page 37 of 42
Life — March 13, 1919 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straight automobile advertisement from Life magazine. The page promotes the **Willys-Knight**, a real car manufactured by Willys-Overland, Inc. (Toledo, Ohio). The ad emphasizes the reliability of the sleeve-valve motor, claiming it "always runs" and generates owner loyalty so strong that customers evangelize to friends. The tagline—"Once a Willys-Knight owner always a Willys-Knight owner"—reflects genuine brand loyalty messaging common in early automotive advertising. There is no political satire or caricature here. Life magazine, while known for satirical content, also carried standard commercial advertisements. This page represents straightforward 1920s marketing using testimonial-style copy to build consumer confidence in a specific automobile model and its mechanical innovation (the sleeve-valve motor).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
oe ee @ “ Sieeve- Valve, the Motor that Always Runs” S ela o 2 & a 52 er & HE Willys-Knight sleeve-valve motor is so ungrudging and unflagging in its performance that it has come to be known as fhe motor that always runs. Nothing our salesmen can say about the car can be as convincing as the statements of its owners. The man who has driven a Willys-Knight car thousands of miles be- comes so enthusiastic over the sleeve-valve motor that he rarely ever is content until he prevails upon his friends to profit by his experience. This staunch allegiance of Willys-Knight owners has given rise to the expression—‘‘Once a Willys-Knight owner always a Willys-Knight owner.”’ ® o 3} Ky cH WILLYS-OVERLAND, INC., To/edo, Ohio Willys-Knight Touring—Four, $1725—Eight, $2750; Seven Pasenger Sedan—Four, $2750—Eight, $5475. Prices fb. Toledo CANADIAN FACTORY WEST TORONTO, CANADA TOS) comicbooks.com aA €