Life, 1929-07-26 · page 35 of 36
Life — July 26, 1929 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a **luxury automobile advertisement** for Packard cars, likely from the 1920s based on the vehicle's design. The page uses aspirational marketing targeting wealthy, refined consumers. The photograph shows an elegant European street scene, implying Packard's prestige abroad. The text emphasizes that European aristocracy ("gentlefolk," "royal garage") endorses Packard vehicles, positioning the American car as equal to or superior to European luxury brands. The famous tagline "Ask the Man Who Owns One" was Packard's actual advertising slogan, meant to suggest satisfied customers would enthusiastically recommend the product. The stated philosophy—that "exceptional merit" allows foreign products to succeed in centers of "old world wealth and culture"—positions American manufacturing as achieving Old World sophistication, a common early 20th-century advertising strategy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PACKARD ly by exceptional ment cs @ foreign product win ferment in the centers of 1 world wealth and culture Where taste and discernment guide habits of life, appreciation of Packard luxury is but natural. Those who know and love fine things pay instinctive tribute to the beauty of Packard's characteristic design—to the superb engineering and precision manu- facture upon which Packard leadership is founded. Abroad, no less than at home, Packard cars enjoy a priceless reputation. Gentle- folk throughout Europe have endorsed ASK THE MAN Packard quality by their patronage. Hardly a royal garage but houses one or more Packards among the famous makes of native design. Time and again Packard cars have won first honors in the motor style shows so popular abroad—and in competition with Europe's finest creations. For motor car excellence, the old world turns to the new—for the supreme combina- tion of all that is fine in motor ars, unerringly to Packard. WHO OWNS ONE comicbooks.com