Life, 1928-03-22 · page 29 of 34
Life — March 22, 1928 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Dunlop Tire advertisement** from 1928, not satire or political cartooning. The page capitalizes on a real speed record: Captain Campbell drove his "Blue Bird" car at Daytona Beach, achieving 207 mph—over 104 yards per second. The ad argues that Dunlops performed flawlessly under extreme conditions, emphasizing the tires' durability and safety. The included letter (dated February 20, 1928) from Dunlop's president congratulates Campbell on breaking the record using their tires. Campbell's response letter praises the tires' reliability, noting he didn't even stop between runs to change wheels. The ad's argument: if Dunlops survive a 900-horsepower racing car at record-breaking speeds, they'll safely serve ordinary motorists. It concludes that 26 million Dunlops prove the brand's reliability and value. This reflects 1920s marketing strategy—leveraging exotic motorsport achievements to advertise consumer products.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Campbell’s 207 miles per hour ovr 104 yards a second . . . the fastest mile made anywhere . . . on track, road or beach. The wonderful driving of Captain Campbell at Daytona Beach smashed all speed records of all times. No other tires ever stood anything like the strain imposed by the daring Captain in his 900 h. p. Blue Bird Car. Centrifugal force so great it would hurl a tire tread sky-high... terrific internal heat! And yet the Dunlops came through “perfect,” according to Captain Campbell. Such supreme tire tests provide the knowl- edge from which Dunlop’s everyday tires have been perfected. The previous world speed record was made on Dunlops—Dunlop holds eighteen world records in all. ++. But Dunlop’s proudest record is this: 26,000,000 Dunlops are giving greater safety, surer service, and bigger value to millions of motorists. WIN WORLD RECORD February 20, 1928 Mr. E. B. Germain, President, Dunlop Tire & Rubber Company, Buffalo, ¥. Y. Dear Mr. Germain: Thank you so very much indeed for your congratulations contained in your wire which I received today. I would like to most heartily congratulate you on the wonderful tires which you have produced those that I used when my car succeeded in breaking the solutely perfect condition, even though they deen through this gruelling test To give you some idea of the utsost con- fidence which I have in Dunlop ti - ments had be ‘or McDonald to he could change my wheels for the I 41a not even bother to stop after sy first run, when the r 214 miles per I felt they would give no trouble. I think tha’ confidence in your wonderful production. es my absolute With kindest regards, I am Yours most sincerely, comicbooks.com