Life, 1924-10-09 · page 27 of 36
Life — October 9, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a luxury automobile advertisement disguised as editorial content in *Life* magazine. The ad promotes the Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Six by appealing to class consciousness. It argues that a man's possessions reflect his character ("a man's possessions are a measure of the man himself"), then claims that wealthy people of "accepted position" choose Pierce-Arrow cars because they represent adequate self-expression. The pitch emphasizes exclusivity: limited production due to meticulous craftsmanship justifies premium pricing ($5,250-$7,000 in 1910s dollars—extremely expensive). The specific customization described (Brewster green paint, hairline striping) reinforces that ownership signals refined taste and social standing. This represents early 20th-century luxury marketing that conflated consumer goods with personal worth and social class—a strategy targeting wealthy readers of *Life*.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Enclosed Drive Limousine, built sor George W. Van Sciver, Esq. For this car, Mr. Van Sciver selected a finish of Brewster green, with double hairline striping in cream on the body, hood and wheels. The fenders and belt are black, setting off the dominant body tone. The upholstery is granite cloth in bronze green. The tire carrier is in the rear, PIERCE- ARROW After all, a man’s possessions are a measure of the man himself. The fa that the Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Six is consistently chosen by those of accepted position, indicates that they find it an ade- quate representation of themselves. Because of the high degree of craftsmanship demanded for the building of such a car, and the time required to render perfect each minute detail, the production of the Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Six is necessarily limited. a DUAL-VALVE SIX Opencars, $5,250 Closed cars,$7,000 at Buffalo ‘THE PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR COMPANY BUILDS TWO TYPES OF MOTOR CARS, THE DUAL-VALVE SIX IN THIRTEEN BODY STYLES, AT $5,250 AND UPWARD; THE seRtes 80 IN SEVEN BODY STYLES, AT $2,895 AND UPWARD comicbooks.com