Life, 1929-07-12 · page 47 of 48
Life — July 12, 1929 — page 47: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Studebaker automobile advertisement**, not political satire. The page uses aspirational imagery to market cars to wealthy Americans. The text emphasizes that Studebaker's affordable eight-cylinder and six-cylinder cars enjoy surprising popularity among wealthy Southampton (Long Island) residents—traditionally associated with luxury vehicles. The ad's "point" is that Studebaker holds official speed records and outsells competitors in eight-cylinder cars, yet costs less than competing luxury brands. The photograph shows fashionably dressed people at what appears to be a Southampton social gathering, with a Studebaker roadster prominently featured. The visual strategy suggests that even the wealthy and discerning prefer Studebaker—a selling point for middle-class readers. The slogan "Builder of Champions" reinforces performance credentials. This is commercial persuasion leveraging social status and proven engineering, not 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.
sOUTHAMPTON’S SPARKLING SANDS ..1 ONG ISLAND...WHERE ONE MEETS THOSE WHO KNOW FINE CARS /v IS interesting —and significant — studebaker’s great straight eights and , motor cars quite low in cost, should such notable popularity among fash- ‘le Southampton habitues. Here, as at play-place of Americans of means and rnment, these champion cars rival the »stliest —not alone in numbers, but in the nthusiastic partisanship voiced by their vers. As for the way Studebaker Cham- s acquit themselves in friendly, informal brushes of speed, judge results by the fact that Studebaker holds, undisputed, every official stock car speed and endurance record ind sells more eight cylinder cars than any other maker in the world. Illustrated is the Commander Regal Roadster for four, available witheitherstraight eight or six cylinder power. Studebaker BUILDER OF CHAMPIONS comicbooks.com