Life, 1923-02-22 · page 36 of 36
Life — February 22, 1923 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Michelin tire company advertisement**, not political satire. The page features the Michelin Man (the iconic mascot made of tire stacks) with an hourglass, symbolizing "Time." The ad's central argument: Michelin claims superiority because it has the longest history as a pneumatic tire manufacturer, allowing decades of real-world testing across climates and road conditions. This accumulated "experience" allegedly produces better tires than competitors can offer. The advertisement addresses a likely customer concern—that Michelin Cords cost more—by suggesting the higher price reflects quality earned through years of research, not arbitrary premium pricing. The copy urges readers to compare prices directly with dealers. The early automobile imagery (vintage car illustration) dates this to the early-to-mid 20th century when tire quality was a legitimate selling point and Michelin's heritage held genuine market advantage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MICHELIN The part that it has played in the production of the world’s best tires 4ITERALLY years are required after a tire manu- facturer has made an experimental change in his “4J) product before he can know the results con- clusively under all climatic conditions, at all seasons, on all kinds of roads and in the service of all kinds of people. Hence the importance of the fact that Michelin is the world’s oldest maker of pneumatic automobile tires. There is something built into every Michelin Tire that cannot be built into any other make—namely, the lessons learned through the extra years of Michelin’s experience. NNIA STTO4V3NNIAM That is one reason why Michelin Tires have always been accepted as the world’s standard of tire quality. If you have been kept from buying Michelin Cords by the thought that they must be high-priced because so highly prized, just ask your Michelin Dealer for comparative figures. MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY, MILLTOWN, N. J. Branches in 30 cities Dealers everywhere comicbooks.com