Life, 1926-09-30 · page 27 of 36
Life — September 30, 1926 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Chrysler automobile advertisement**, not a political cartoon or satire. It appears in *Life* magazine's advertising section (page 25). The ad promotes Chrysler's manufacturing philosophy of "Standardized Quality"—claiming that all Chrysler models ("50," "60," "70," and Imperial "80") meet identical rigid engineering standards. The pitch eliminates "purchaser's risk" by assuring buyers that every car, regardless of price tier, delivers equal quality and value. The Chrysler logo (top right) and the large branded box at bottom ("BUILT AS ONLY CHRYSLER BUILDS") emphasize brand superiority. The text, by J.E. Fields, uses language about "absolute safety" and "supreme value" to differentiate Chrysler from competitors using standardized manufacturing practices—a significant selling point during this era of automotive development. This is purely corporate marketing, not satirical commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Standardized Quality Means By J. E. Fields The Chrysler plan of Quality Standardiza- tion differs from, and is superior to, ordi- nary manufacturing practice and methods. Chrysler Standardized Quality is a fixed and inflexible quality standard which enforces the same scrupulously close limits—the same rigid rule of engineering exactness—the same abso- lute accuracy and precision of alignment and assemblage—in the measurement, the ma- chining and manufacturing of every part, prac- tice and process in four lines of Chrysler cars—“50”, “60”, “70” and Imperial “80.” Thus “purchaser’s risk” is eliminated. The pur- chaser is assured of absolute safety. He knows that every Chrysler—from the lowest-priced to the highest-priced—is the supreme value in its class.That the value of each is unquestionable. BUILT AS ONLY CHRYSLER BUILDS comicbooks.com