Life, 1929-05-03 · page 2 of 44
Life — May 3, 1929 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire page** — it's a **full-page advertisement** for Stutz and Blackhawk automobiles. The ad uses a rhetorical strategy common to luxury marketing: positioning these cars as rare, exclusive "specialty" products rather than mass-produced vehicles. The opening line — "The world's finest things are seldom produced in great volume" — establishes an elitist pitch targeting wealthy buyers who value distinctiveness. The illustration shows a sleek 1920s sedan. The text emphasizes engineering features (four forward speeds, adjustable seats, safety glass) as markers of modern excellence and careful craftsmanship. The final tagline — "THE SAFEST CAR HAS THE RIGHT TO BE THE FASTEST" — appeals to status-conscious consumers by linking safety with performance and prestige. This reflects 1920s marketing ideology: automobiles as status symbols for discriminating elites.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The world’s finest things are seldom produced in great volume Where does the careful buyer go when he wants an exquisite specialty, something different from the ordinary run of staple merchandise? To the specialty shop, in all probability, where rare and distinctive commodities are sold by real experts. There is found that different-ness that stamps an article or product as a work of individual effort— and most certainly not of mass production. We seldom esteem high priced things when they are produced in great quantities. The high price must buy fineness with distinction. There is some- thing about huge volume products that causes us to look upon each unit as “just another” one. We value the choice, the distinctive, the rare spe- cialty, because it is exclusive and reflects personality and discrimination. We regard the specialty as the careful, precise work of mind and hand—not that of over-standardized, mechanical methods, Stutz and Blackhawk cars are specialties both. In the fine automobile field they represent the dis- tinctiveness, the individualism, the exclusiveness of true specialty. And here’s why: Both cars cap the very apex of modernism. Th« motors of each, especially designed to meet the road requirements of today and tomorrow —the smooth and silent four forward speeds that set new standards of motor car performance —adjustable front and rear seats, with seat backs that adjust to afford supreme comfort —the “Noback,” that automatically prevents un- desirable backward roll on hills, is the year’s out- standing engineering achievement —and many other well known Stutz features, such as steel running boards integral with the frame— non-glare headlamps—safety glass, of course—low center of gravity—and mightiest of brakes that bring a new meaning to de-celeration, make these two products the outstanding specialty cars of this modern day. And all of these things are possible because Stutz and Blackhawk cars are produced with infinitesi- mal care and precision—to be among the world’s finest things. Stutz $3395 to $6895, Blackhawk $2345 to $2955, prices f. 0. b. factory STUTZ and BLACKHAWK TUE FASTEST comicbooks.com