Life, 1920-02-12 · page 31 of 44
Life — February 12, 1920 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Packard automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The page uses a photograph of wealthy patrons arriving at an opera house to argue that luxury car ownership is economically rational. The opening image shows 31 different car makes delivering opera-goers, suggesting most drivers "pay first-class prices" for second-class comfort. The ad's argument: a Packard owner actually spends *less* per mile due to superior fuel efficiency, oil mileage, tire durability, and lower depreciation. The "heat-treating process" reduces repairs. The appeal targets aspirational middle-class readers who felt they "couldn't afford" a Packard. The ad reframes luxury as practical value: buying cheap costs more long-term. The tagline "Ask the Man Who Owns One" encourages peer testimonials. This reflects 1920s consumer capitalism, where advertisements positioned expensive goods as smart investments rather than indulgences—a rhetorical strategy that remains common today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
.3274 passengers in cars of 31 diferent makes drove up before this Opera House entrance one evening last month. Many of themare traveling ia second-class comfort, not realizing that they pay first-class prices for it Does it Really Cost any more to Travel First Class ‘OU will often hear people say, with an air of resig- nation, how much they would rather ride in a Pack- ard, if they could only afford it. Putting the Packard owner ina class apart, with special comforts and privileges —as- suming that he pays more for his motoring than they do. GREAT many people would be less resigned to their own inconveniences of travel, if they knew how little the Packard owner pays for the comfort they speak of. Packard Transportation “Ask the Man never costs a passenger more than second-class transporta- tion—and often less. The gasoline mileage of the Packard is from 10 to 14, according to road conditions. The oil mileage, 1,000 to the gallon. Tires, properly cared for, 10,000 to 16,000 miles. The Packard exclusive heat-treating process adds greatly to the strength of the steel, reducing repairs and depreciation. The longer life and greater used value of the Packard more than takes care of the difference in initial invest- ment. OR twenty years the Packard Company has been studying motor cars from the standpoint of Transportation Experts. Time after time it has proved that trying to save on the initial investment costs a man more in the long run than buying a Packard. Transportation facts are not a matter of compromise, but absolute—as the Packard Transportation Experts can show any man who really wants the facts. Who Owns One”’ PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, Detroit comicbooks.com