Life, 1929-02-08 · page 3 of 44
Life — February 8, 1929 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Hudson automobile advertisement** rather than political satire or a cartoon. The page promotes the Greater Hudson in 14 body types, positioned as a luxury vehicle. The ad's humor is subtle: it uses the phrase "There is a very costly car you would say / If you did not know the price" to suggest Hudson offers luxury and performance at a reasonable cost—a sales pitch appealing to aspiring middle-class buyers who want to appear wealthy. The image shows a sleek sedan against a dramatic cliff backdrop, emphasizing elegance and capability. The specification details (horsepower, chassis options, price range $1,095-$2,100) reinforce that this is accessible luxury compared to more expensive competitors. This reflects 1920s consumer culture and automobile marketing strategies targeting upwardly mobile Americans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life The eater 111 DSON tn [4h Destingucshe dNew Body. Types Original Corpor Bthing by Chas, A. Barter (Theteé t£ a vets Ut costly cat you would Lay, you did not know the pelce— From whatever viewpoint you regard it—whether rich Appearance, luxurious appointment or brilliant perform= ance—if you did not know the price of the Greater Hudson you would say, “There is a very costly car.” * me, * On the standard chassis nine models are offered— the Coach, Standard Sedan, Coupe, Roadster, Phaeton, Town Sedan, Convertible Coupe, Landau Sedan and Victoria, ranging from $1095 to $1500 at factory. On the long chassis there are five models — the 4-passenger Sport Phacton, the 7-pas- senger Phaeton, the S-passenger Club Sedan, the 7-passenger Sedan and the 7-passenger Limousine, with a price range from $1850 to $2100 at factory. DEVELOPED HORSEPOWER—ABOVE 80 MILES AN HOUR + comicbooks.com