Life, 1925-05-21 · page 39 of 40
Life — May 21, 1925 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Michelin tire advertisement**, not political satire or a cartoon. The image shows a globe with a trail of automobiles, designed to convey global reach and widespread adoption. The "news" being advertised is that 3 million Michelin "Comfort Balloons" (balloon tires—a then-modern tire technology with lower pressure, offering smoother rides) have been sold worldwide. The advertisement claims these tires provide comfort, durability, and silence while costing no more than ordinary tires and requiring no wheel modifications. For modern readers: balloon tires were a significant automotive innovation of the 1920s-30s. This ad uses the impressive sales figure and globe imagery to establish credibility and suggest the product's superiority through popularity. The language emphasizes practical benefits—longer tire life, improved comfort, easier adoption—attempting to overcome consumer reluctance to switch brands.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
about the performance of the first 3,000,000 Michelin Comfort Balloons ow it has been defi- ~ ST: nitely proved that the man who is not using balloon tires is wasting money, comfort and convenience. . During the past year and a half * over 3,000,000 Michelin Com- fort Balloons have gone into service throughout the world. They have proved they last longer, add thousands of miles to the life of the car, keep the =. car silent, and give a wonder- ful degree of riding comfort that makes a new experience of motoring. You can change to Michelin Comfort Balloons without ex- tra expense. They cost no more than ordinary tires, no altera- tion in rims or wheels is needed, and you can change to them one at a time as your old tires wear out (ask your dealer how to do this). See your Michelin Dealer now about changing to the leading balloon tires— Michelin Com- fort Balloons. Michelin Tire Co., Milltown, N. J. - MICHELIN comicbooks.com