Life — February 10, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a vintage automobile advertisement disguised as a cartoon joke. The image shows a early 1920s roadster with two figures—a man driving and a woman passenger. The caption presents a dialogue where the woman (Ethel) asks the man if he's afraid to take long trips alone and worries about tire trouble. He responds confidently that he has no concerns because he uses "Kelly-Springfields" (a tire brand). The humor and sales pitch converge: the ad suggests that Kelly-Springfield tires are so reliable they eliminate the anxiety typically associated with early automobile travel, when tire failures were common. The cartoon format made advertising more engaging than straightforward promotional copy. The license plate "B2140" may reference a specific model or registration.