Life, 1926-12-02 · page 71 of 81
Life — December 2, 1926 — page 71: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**, but rather a **automobile advertisement** for the Locomobile Straight Eight. The page appears in *Life* magazine's advertising section. The ad's rhetorical strategy is to democratize luxury: Locomobile had been "the standard of luxury...but priced beyond the reach of all but a few" for twenty-five years. Now, the company announces, they're offering the Straight Eight at lower prices ($1,785-$2,285), making fine automobiles accessible to ordinary Americans—"NOW ALL AMERICA MAY KNOW." The image shows the sedan parked in an idealized suburban street scene with period townhouses and pedestrians, emphasizing respectability and widespread availability. The copy emphasizes engineering quality, comfort features (rubber-cushioned springs), and reliability—appealing to middle-class buyers who wanted luxury without extravagance. The closing tagline, "The BEST BUILT CAR IN AMERICA," reinforces brand prestige. This reflects 1920s automotive marketing: democratizing previously elite products through industrial efficiency.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LOCOMOBILE Che BEST BUILT LOCOMOBILE STRAIC 2285 fo. b. BRIDG! NOW ALL AMERICA MAY KNOW AR to the heart of all lovers of fine motor ars is the name Locomobile. Always the standard of luxury, fineness and mechanical ex- cellence, but priced beyond the reach of all but a few—such was Locomobile for a quarter century. But now the privilege of sitting behind the wheel of a Locomobile is open to all, in the Locomobile Straight Eight—anautomobiledesignedandcon- structed by men who never built less than the finest; a powerful motor that whispers along at five or sixty-five miles, with unbelievable acceleration, and remarkable ease of handling. Prices: Straight Eight, $1785-$. A motor car with all main chassis springs cush- ioned in blocks of resilient rubber, which ease the road shocks to motor and passengers; a motor car with standard coachwork that invites comparison with the finest custom bodies; and above all, a motor car built for long life in the service of those who love fine cars; such is the Locomobile Straight Eight—the Locomobile so priced that all America may know and possess a truly great motor car. There are now dealers throughout the country where the Locomobile Straight Eight, in five body types, may be seen. Model “90,” $5500-$7500; Model “48,” Series 10, $7-400-$12,000, f. 0. b. Bridgeport, Conn. COMPANY OF AMERICA, INC., BRIDGEPORT, ., Locomodtte has built as great teriters hare written—to an ideat that withstands the odttierating Power of Time, uninfluenced dy momentary fancies of whatctc? mature, and’ detracted not from the shining odjectice— Perfection CONNECTICUT CAR IN AMERICA comicbooks.com