Life, 1927-12-15 · page 39 of 40
Life — December 15, 1927 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Packard automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Packard cars by emphasizing their engineering heritage and innovation. The three illustrations above the car depict historical scenes—likely representing Archimedes and ancient engineers—to establish that Packard's technology builds on principles "older than the Christian era." This rhetorical strategy lends gravitas and timelessness to the brand. The central image shows a 1920s Packard automobile in profile. The advertisement claims Packard pioneered advanced engineering over 28 years, specifically mentioning spiral bevel gears based on Archimedean principles. It concludes by promoting two flagship models: the Packard Six and Packard Eight, described as "the finest, the most beautiful." The tagline "Ask the man who owns one" was Packard's actual advertising slogan, positioning ownership as a mark of discerning taste. This reflects early 1920s luxury automotive marketing targeting wealthy consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I< ONE generation automotive engi- neering has revolutionized civilized . Yet many of the fundamentals of the science are older than the Christian era. The spiral bevel gears, which Packard developed and was the first to use com- mercially, are based on the principle of Archimedes’ screw —in use 2,000 years ago. Today these gears are found in nearly every motor car except the very lowest priced. PACK THE M AN of > hun- dreds of advanced steps Pac pioneered in the 28 years it has They are but one example has d en- For Packard engineering no less than Packard beauty of line has been widely imitated gineering leadership in the industry. The greatest achievements of Packard en gineers and designers are the new Packard Six and Packard Eight—the finest, the most beautiful and the greatest perform- ing cars Packard has ever built. ARD- w N S$ comicbooks.com