Life, 1928-10-05 · page 5 of 48
Life — October 5, 1928 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a satirical cartoon** but rather **paid advertising** for Chrysler automobiles, published in Life magazine. The ad's headline uses a play on words—"Not Chrysler- but the Chrysler Public"—suggesting that Chrysler's real strength comes from public support rather than the company itself. The accompanying illustration shows a sleek 1920s-era automobile with dramatic radiating lines suggesting motion and progress. The text emphasizes Chrysler's ambition to lead the automobile industry through superior design and manufacturing. It argues that a company's success depends on public approval, and that Chrysler has earned this through quality vehicles that appeal to consumers. This represents straightforward corporate messaging rather than satire or political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
L pea speaking, the measure of any man’s success is the size of the public behind him. He grows as his public grows—as his acts are approved in increasing volume by an increas~ ing public. > These few words tell almost all there is to the Chrysler story—or give, at any rate, the root~ teason why Chrysler looms large on the motor car horizon. Chrysler is presenting at this mo~ ment a group of cars sparkling and shining with newness of performance and appearance — cars which have again captivated their public. These brilliant new Chrysler cars have been in process of creation for two years—they will exert their influence upon the design of all other motor cars for several years to come. > Chrysler has never halted orhesitated, because Chry~ sler is free and has no obli- FE N ot C heysler- but the heysler Public gations to anyone but its own public — no limit except the limit of its own creative pow~ ers, its own energy and enthusiasm, its own faith in the boundless resources of the nation. Chrysler quite frankly confesses its intention to try to surpass other cars and other manu- facturers—quite frankly admits an enthusi- astic ambition for continued leadership in value giving—quite frankly intends to leave nothing undone to earn and deserve and hold the greatest motor car public in all the world. “> This, it seems to the Chrysler management, is the urgent need of every manufacturing institution which aspires to satisfy a swift- moving public —to realize that it does move, that yesterday is dead, that laurels wither, that today is gloriously alive, that tomorrow calls clamorously for greater and greater endeavor. comicbooks.com