Life, 1928-04-12 · page 31 of 42
Life — April 12, 1928 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **car advertisement**, not political satire. It's a full-page ad from Life magazine promoting the LaSalle automobile as a more affordable alternative to Cadillac (both General Motors products). The illustration shows a well-dressed couple with an umbrella near a LaSalle car, emphasizing elegance and prestige. The ad's appeal targets middle-class aspirations: it promises luxury styling and Cadillac-quality engineering at lower prices, making ownership accessible through GM's liberal financing plans. The key sales pitch is that buyers "need no longer forego the gratification and prestige of owning a LaSalle"—suggesting the car conveys social status. The mention of "acceptable appraisal value" references trade-in financing, a relatively modern concept at the time. This reflects 1920s-30s consumer culture: marketing automobiles as both practical transportation and status symbols for upwardly mobile Americans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ate LA SALLE COMPANION CAR TO CADILLAC [sox who know motor-cars and motorecar values, quite obviously, find nothing else to compensate for the performance supremacy of LaSalle’s proved Vetype, 9o=degree, 8= cylinder, Cadillacebuilt engine—nowhere the radiant beauty of color, spirited lines, studied appoint | ments of LaSalle. With this year's prices substantially lower and the addition of five new models you need no longer forego the gratification and prestige of owning a LaSalle—companion car to Cadillac. Ifyou prefer to buy out of income, as nearly everyone does today, the General Afotors plan is very liberal. The appraisal value of your car is, of course, acceptable as cash. CADILLAC MOTOR CAR COMPANY Division of General Motors Corporation Detroit, Michigan Oshawa, Canada comicbooks.com