Life, 1926-07-08 · page 3 of 41
Life — July 8, 1926 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement**, not political satire. The Budd Wheel Company is promoting their "Budd-Michelin" wheels by claiming the public prefers them for automobiles. The ad uses a collage of vehicles—from early bicycles and motorcars to 1920s automobiles—to suggest the wheels' long success history. The text cites consumer testimonials praising features like safety, durability, and ease of tire-changing. The "Goodby wheels" text at top appears ironic: these new wheels allegedly make old problems obsolete. This represents typical early-20th-century *Life* magazine content: advertisements marketed as editorial endorsements, using aspirational imagery and supposed customer quotes to build brand credibility during the automotive industry's expansion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The public says" Welcome Budd-Michelin! HE public has bought Budd- Michelin Wheels on a dozen of America’s most famous cars. We sought out and interviewed hundreds of these Budd-Michelin owners. Most of them had previously owned cars with wooden wheels. Ten to one they preferred Budd- Michelin. The majority was greater than the majority for balloon tires! “Safer”... “stronger”... “clean- er”... “better looking”’. . . “easier to change tires”... “they save tires” «..“silent’’... “easier steering”... “never hung up on the road with a broken wheel” . . . ‘more modern.” WHEEL COMPANY These are the things the Budd- Michelin owners said, time after time. Most of them gave three or four reasons for their preference. Here’s what Budd-Michelin is: A disc of cold-rolled steel, in an exclu- sive convex form, that permits the placing of brakes and king pins within the wheel, for better brak- ing and easier steering. The wheel is demountable—is re- moved in a moment by unscrewing the self-locking nuts at the hub. ... A fifth wheel, carrying the spare tire, is put in its place—and that’s all there is to changing a tire. A three-minute job! ii ¥) ” The spare wheel dresses up the rear of the car—acts as an additional bumper—and is always ready for an emergency. Why do Budd-Michelin Wheels save tires? Because the rims are per- manently attached—the tires always run true—and the steel discs radiate the destructive friction-heat from the tires. These wheels hide the unsightly brakes, and protect them from mud, water, and dust. ... They are light. They are strong as only stee! can be! The public says, “Welcome, Budd- Michelin!” [| Detroit... BUDD WHEEL COMPANY... Philadelphia } comicbooks.com