Life, 1926-04-08 · page 8 of 52
Life — April 8, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Packard automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The image shows a 1920s-era luxury car with passengers and onlookers in what appears to be a scenic location. The ad's argument is economic rather than political: it claims Packard automobiles offer superior value—lower cost-per-mile than competitors, despite higher initial purchase price. The text emphasizes depreciation costs favor Packard ownership and suggests financing options make the car affordable ("a thousand dollars less than most men think"). The phrase "Ask The Man Who Owns One" was Packard's famous marketing slogan, appealing to satisfied customers as endorsement. There is **no political cartoon or satire** on this page—it's a straightforward luxury goods advertisement from the early automobile era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The average Packard owner drives his car nearly three times as far as the owner of the car most often traded in for a Packard Six. The depreciation cost per mile is actually more on such cars than on the Packard Six and operating and main- tenance charges are never any less. If it costs less to own a Packard by the mile and The Packard Six fve-passenger Sedan is illustrated, Its cost & $2585 at Detroit, tax added | Tae PACKARD MILE Costs LEss | no more to run it, why should any one be without its beauty, its comfort and its distinction. The Packard mile does cost less and does give more than any other mile. Why be without it when the Packard Six may be bought for a thousand dollars less than most men think, and on a budget plan that seldom calls for monthly payments in excess of $150. PACKARD Ce2k3 Ash The ManWho Owns One Gs? comicbooks.com