Life, 1928-08-23 · page 35 of 36
Life — August 23, 1928 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a luxury car advertisement from Packard, a high-end American automobile manufacturer. The page uses an analogy comparing Packard's design process to the construction of elaborate figureheads on historic American clipper ships: both are built from carefully assembled pieces that are then refined to artistic perfection. The advertisement emphasizes that Packard's "characteristic lines" set industry standards and are frequently imitated but never surpassed. The images show craftsmen meticulously shaping a full-sized wooden body prototype under designers' supervision, suggesting that each improvement undergoes rigorous artistic refinement. The price range ($2,275–$8,725) positions this as a premium product for wealthy customers. This reflects early 20th-century luxury marketing that equated automobiles with fine craftsmanship and artistic achievement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The elaborate figure-heads of famous American clipper ships were not cut from solid timber, but built up of fated pieces—then caned to final form AACKARD’S characteristic lines have set the standard for an entire school of automobile design. First an achievement of independent, cre- ative designing, then refined and devel- oped through the years, Packard lines— though frequently imitated—have never been surpassed in grace and distinction. This is not accident. The continued refine- ment of Packard lines, while retaining all their familiar and distinctive charac- teristics, is today the object of as careful thought and study as was their original conception. Packard cars are priced from $2275 to $4550. Individual custom models from $38; When improvements are contemplated, Packard artisans construct from the drawings a full-sized body of fine wood. Under the eyes of the designers it is then reshaped until each line au curve is artistically correct, each panel, door and window properly proportioned — the whole a perfect model for a new interpretation of Packard beauty. It is such faithful consecration to an ideal—typical of every phase of Packard design and manufacture—that has estab- lished Packard beauty and distinction as supreme among all fine cars. 875 to $8725, at Detroit Px Ce AUR TeRSE M AN OWNS comicbooks.com