Life, 1926-08-26 · page 3 of 41
Life — August 26, 1926 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Marmon automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The ad uses a common early 20th-century marketing approach: a lifestyle narrative rather than product specifications. The cartoon shows two people at lunch discussing a weekend outing. The ad's argument is that when choosing between cars for recreation, a Marmon stands out because it delivers "speed," "safety," "comfort," and "adventure" simultaneously—qualities the copywriter claims no competing vehicle matches. The text emphasizes Marmon's "custom-built" construction and reliability on various road conditions. A note at bottom mentions the company's "National Road Demonstration" program, allowing potential buyers test drives before purchase. This is straightforward commercial persuasion, not commentary on social or political issues.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
There are Times When Only a Marmon Will Do Just suppose some one at luncheon today says, “Let's pack up and go to the woods over the week-end—we'll make a party ofit—your family and mine.’ That's decided right on the spot—i kling good idea. The only question then hose car shall we take—your car or mine? It makes no difference what car yours is—it’s a hundred to one you'll agree to take mine. My car is a Marmon, When people get ready to go places, and want to get a real thrill out of the going, what other car can even approach a Marmon? You want to go speedily—yct leisurely. You want to go safely—yet not think about it. You want to go comfortably—yet with a feel- ing for adventure. What other car has this added something of Marmon—that by-product which yougetin addi- tion to Marmon's distinctive looks, its d: and day-out faithful service? Even if you consider Marmon merely as the equal of other cars you might buy—if there's a question in your mind between Marmon and one or two near rivals—there's one thing that will decide the whole issue. What we would like you to do as quickly as yeu can is to ride in a Marmon on a road. No other car feels like Marmon. No other car seems so custom-built for all road conditions, But why tell you a// about it? It takes labor to write and it’s so pleasant to ride. sue NATIONAL ROAD DEMONSTRATION Marmon dealers allover the country are now preparedto place acar atthe disposalof all established families, The Marmon company is particularly desirous of having all inter- ested in owning a Marmon first make their own road tests before deciding to purchase. Appointments may be made on application. MARMON comicbooks.com