Life, 1927-04-07 · page 5 of 59
Life — April 7, 1927 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily advertising**, not satire or political commentary. The content describes Ethyl Gasoline, an anti-knock fuel additive developed by General Motors Research Laboratories eight years prior (suggesting a publication date around 1931-1932). The illustration at top shows a car with mechanical stress lines, representing engine "knocking"—a technical problem where fuel detonates improperly. The text explains that GM researchers identified this as a "fuel knock" caused by temperature and compression, then developed Ethyl Brand anti-knock compound to solve it. The bottom half is a straightforward product advertisement listing oil companies licensed to sell Ethyl Gasoline, promoting it as superior fuel that delivers "more power, quicker pick-up and less gear-shifting." There is **no political satire or social commentary** present on this page.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IGHT years ago the General Motors Research Laboratories started out to find the cause of “knocking” in automobile engines. Their first task was to see just what goes on inside an automobile cylinder. So they invented special instruments which made possible the photographs shown opposite. Then they found that what has been called an “‘engine knock”’ or a ‘‘spark knock”’ is in reality a fuel knock—due to the tendency of regular gasoline to explode too quickly beyond certain temperature and compres- sion limits. Once the character of the ‘‘knock”’ was fully known, General Motors research engi- neers began their long series of experiments for something which would eliminate it. These experiments resulted in Ethyl Brand of Anti-Knock Compound, or ‘‘ETHYL” fluid as it is commonly known, which when mixed in very small quantities with regular gasoline forms Ethyl Gasoline—the most efficient ‘‘anti-knock”’ fuel yet discovered. Ethyl Gasoline means more powev’. quicker pick-up and less gear-shifting. 1t transforms carbon from a liability into an asset. It is used by racing drivers throughout the country. It is used by the latest type of airplanes of the United States Navy. It has increased the motoring satisfaction of hundreds of thousands of car drivers. It is destined to play a still more important part in the automobile history of the future. TRY IT. Ernyt Gasotine Corporation 25 Broadway, New York THYL GASOLINE is now generally available through- out the United States and Canada. Following are oil companies licensed to mix ‘‘ETHYL"’ fluid with gasoline at their refineries and to sell the resultant product (Ethyl Gasoline) to the public, either directly or through gasoline resellers and distributors. , ‘ ’ . Associated Oil Company + Atlantic Refining Co. + Beacon Oil Company ¢ Continental Oil Company + Humble Oil & Refining Co. + Imperial Oil Limited (Canada) * Pennzoil Company « Refiners Oil Com- pany ¢ Spears & Riddle*Co. + Spokane Oil & Refining Co. + Standard Oil Company (Indiana) * Standard Oil Company (Kentucky) * Standard Oil Company of Louisiana * Standard Oil Co. (Neb.) + Standard Oil Company (N. J.) * Sterling Oil Company » Union Oil Company of California * Walburn Petroleum Co. + Waverly Oil Works. Through the above-named companies, hundreds of jobbers and thousands of dealers are selling Ethy! Gasoline, The “ETHYL” trade mark on the pump is your protection. GASOLINE comicbooks.com