Life — October 7, 1920 — page 37: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **Studebaker automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes the Studebaker "Big-Six" car to *Life* magazine readers (circa 1910s-1920s). The ad's central claim is that Studebaker manufactures its own components—bodies, axles, motors, transmissions, gears—eliminating middlemen's profits and allowing competitive pricing for "sterling high quality." The accompanying image shows a well-dressed group of five people enjoying an open-air automobile ride through scenic countryside, visually reinforcing the message: this is a quality vehicle for the affluent middle class. The tagline "This is a Studebaker Year" uses aspirational marketing common to the era. There is no political cartoon or satire here—it's straightforward advertising leveraging manufacturing efficiency as a selling point.