Life, 1920-02-26 · page 37 of 40
Life — February 26, 1920 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The page advertises the Apperson Eight automobile from Apperson Brothers Automobile Company (Kokomo, Indiana). The illustration depicts a black early 1920s automobile positioned before the Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple. This juxtaposes modern automotive engineering with classical architecture to suggest that Apperson cars, like enduring works of antiquity, represent timeless quality and permanence. The ad's argument centers on engineering superiority: the Apperson Eight has "eighty less parts" than competitors, faster acceleration (0-40 mph in 40 seconds), and superior braking (40-yard stop from 40 mph). The copy emphasizes that enduring products result from pursuing "ideal perfection" rather than immediate profit. The tagline "DRIVE an Apperson First—Then Decide" challenges readers to test-drive before purchasing competitors' vehicles. This is straightforward product marketing with no discernible political or satirical commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
winter jindoo The works of man that endure are all alike vitalized by the same spark. That spark is the striving for an ideal perfection that forgets an immediate profit. When the Apperson Brothers built with their own hands the first mechanically successful automobile, their goal was achievement of an ideal perfection. And as Apperson has grown, this spirit has never changed. It has kept the Appersons breaking trail for more than a quarter of a century. It has endc ie every Apperson car with enduring Worth. Appersons stay at their best a long, long time. Owners of old Apperson Sixes and Fours still drive them today, finding it difficult to believe that the Apperson Eight can be an improvement. Yet the Apperson Eight is a big advance. It has eighty less parts. Astonishing acceleration—from 1 to 40 miles an hour in 40 seconds. This shows the motor's flexibility and tremendous power. And the car is so perfectly balanced that the brake curbs the speed from 4o miles an hour to a dead stop in 4 seconds—4o yards. These outstanding superiorities represent the excellence of the whole car and its every part. And Apperson excellence endures. DRIVE an Apperson First —Then Decide. Apperson BrotHers AuToMosite Company, Kokomo, Indiana \PPE RS ON The Eight with Eighty Less Parts comicbooks.com