1927 LaSalle Model 303

General Motors was founded in 1908 by William C. Durant with the Buick Motor Company as its staple. At the time, Buick was second in U.S. production figures. Chevrolet would take over those duties in 1919 and would hold that position through most of the 1920s before dethroning Ford in 1927 for the top position. Within General Motor's hierarchy, Cadillac was at the top, rivaling the best the industry had to offer. Not resting on their laurels, Cadillac began development on a sixteen-cylinder engine that would ignite the so-called 'cylinder wars' of the early 1930s, striking a fatal blow to the industry during the height of the Great Depression.

With Chevrolet recording the highest production figures within the industry and Cadillac catering to the most elite customers in society, General Motors looked for gaps in its pricing structure. Recognizing a gap between Buick and Cadillac, Alfred P. Sloan Jr. and Lawrence P. Fisher conceived a companion marque for Cadillac. The presidents of General Motors and Cadillac, respectively, they chose the name LaSalle - in honor of the famous seventeenth-century French explorer who boldly laid claim to the entire Mississippi river basin. More than just a price gap, LaSalle was envisioned to satisfy the requests for owner-driven prestigious cars that were growing in popularity on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

In a similar fashion, Viking was created in 1929 as a supplement to Oldsmobile (filling the gap between Olds and Buick); its lifespan was brief, ending in 1931. Pontiac was a companion make for Oakland (price gap between Oakland and Chevrolet) automobiles beginning in 1931, and when its popularity exceeded Oaklands, General Motors discontinued Oakland in 1933. Pontiac's legacy would continue through 2010.

With the introduction of the LaSalle nameplate for 1927, General Motors signaled a new emphasis on automotive design which resulted in the establishment of its Art & Colour styling department. Larry Fisher lured a talented young stylist named Harley Earl away from the renowned custom bodyshop of Cadillac's California distributor, Don Lee. Commissioned to shape the first LaSalle, Earl took inspiration from contemporary Hispano-Suizas. The designs that followed would revolutionize the industry and would earn Earl the lead position in the 'Art & Colour Section' which he would hold until his retirement. During his 30-year career at GM, he would eventually be given control of all styling and design at General Motors.

LaSalle automobiles were designed to appeal to a younger, more style-conscious buyer. These 'junior' Cadillacs were powered by a large capacity 90-degree V8 engine by Cadillac. Their wide range of body styles included Fisher and Fleetwood-built custom body designs. They were built by Cadillac at a dedicated factory at Wyoming Road Assembly.

Production ended after the 1940 production model when GM realized that LaSalle was diluting sales and brand preference away from Cadillac. In 1927, a LaSalle served pace car duties at the Indianapolis 500.

Specification
Two wheelbase sizes were initially offered (1927 through 1931) of 125- and 134-inches. Fisher offered eight body selections on the 125-inch chassis, while Fleetwood Metal Body offered four bodies on the short platform. Additionally, three Fisher-built bodies (a five-passenger Imperial and seven-passenger Sedan and Imperial) were offered on the longer 134-inch platform.

Engine
The ninety-degree, L-head eight-cylinder engine had a cast iron block with a copper/aluminum crankcase. It had a 303 cubic-inch displacement, three main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, a Cadillac-built carburetor, 4.8:1 compression, and delivered 75 (SAE) horsepower. A three-speed selective sliding gear transmission was built in-unit with the engine. 14-inch drum brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power.

Body Styles
Fisher-built bodies on the 125-inch wheelbase platform included a four-door town sedan and phaeton at $2,495, a roadster at $2,525, a coupe at $2,585, and a sedan at $2,685. The convertible coupe and victoria were priced at $2,635, and the sport phaeton at $2,975. Both the 5-passenger Imperial and seven-passenger Sedan built by Fisher on the 134-inch platform were priced at $2,775. The seven-passenger Imperial listed at $2,875.

The Fleetwood-built bodies were the most expensive LaSalles with the coupe priced at $4,275, the sedan at $4,475, the town cabriolet at $4,500, and the Transformation Town Cabriolet at $4,700.

Milford Proving Grounds
Willard Rader and Gus Bell drove a LaSalle on the track at the Milford Proving Grounds on June 20th, 1927. A failure with the oil system would bring the test to a close prematurely, but it had covered 952 miles, averaging 95.2 mph over 9 hours and 45 minutes. During that time, only seven minutes were spent on refueling and tire changes.

The 1927 Cadillac
The 1927 Cadillac, promoted as the 'New Ninety Degree Cadillac' was powered by a 314.5 cubic-inch V8 engine with its 3-speed engine built in-unit with the engine. Wheelbase sizes included 132- and 150-inch platforms, and coachwork included Fleetwood, Brunn, and Willoughby. Prices ranged from $3,000 to $5,500.

The 1927 Buick
The 1927 Buick Standard Six was powered by a 207 cubic-inch overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine offering 63 horsepower at 2,800 RPM. Prices ranged from $1,195 to $1,275 and the wheelbase measured 114.5 inches. The Master Six used a 274 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine with 75 HP, prices ranged from $1,395 to $1,995, and wheelbases measured 120- and 128-inches.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2007