Life, 1923-08-02 · page 6 of 40
Life — August 2, 1923 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satire** — it's a straightforward **automobile advertisement** for the Packard Single-Eight motor car, published in *Life* magazine. The page promotes Packard's new vehicle model, emphasizing its engineering innovations, speed, acceleration, and luxury features. The image shows a silhouetted side view of the automobile against a backdrop of a sailing ship, presumably suggesting progress and superiority. The ad targets wealthy consumers, highlighting that a single test drive establishes "new standards of appreciation" and claims the car "surpasses any previous motor experience." Pricing information ($2,650-$2,950 in Detroit) appears at the bottom. This represents early 20th-century automobile marketing in a general-interest magazine, positioned as aspirational content for affluent readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ZB : SUL Sy \ YQ o Those who ride in a Packard Single-Eight invari ably say it surpasses any previous motor experience. The new engineering princi- ples embodied in the Single- Eight mark it as a car apart from and above any claimant for comparison. A single ride establishes new standards of appreciation— of fleetness, acceleration, flexibility and motoring luxury. In appearance, the Single- Eight typifies the connois- seur’s ideal of a superlatively beautiful motor car. Its grace of line and brilliance of finish make it dominant wherever it appears. The Packard Motor Car Company invites you to ride in this beautiful new car—to see for yourself that it exceeds in every way the previous bestamongfine cats. Furnished in Nine Distinguished Body Types, Open and Enclosed, at Prices Ranging from $3650 to $4950, at Detroit comicbooks.com