1928 LaSalle Model 303

The LaSalle is considered the first American car to have been styled from concept to production. The LaSalle brand was introduced in March of 1927 as a companion to Cadillac, and to fill the price gap that existed between Buick and Cadillac. The name LaSalle was chosen in honor of the famous seventeenth-century French explorer who boldly laid claim to the entire Mississippi river basin.

The demand for owner-driver cars had increased during the mid-1920s, and as the luxury market continued to evolve on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Packard was among the earliest marques to meet this demand with its prescient Single Six range.

The strategy of using 'companion makes' for Cadillac was conceived by General Motors' CEO, Alfred P. Sloan, and Cadillac's president, Lawrence P. Fisher. LaSalle was not the first of the companion cars, as other manufacturers had used the concept to broaden their market share. Among the list were the Hudson's Essex, Jewett from Paige and the short-lived Ajax from Nash. Whippet, the Willys companion, became the third-best-selling car in 1928. Among the upscale companion marques were Marmon's Roosevelt and the Blackhawk from Stutz. All of General Motors' divisions, except Chevrolet, would have a companion make, including Pontiac, which began as a lower-priced companion to Oakland.

LaSalle was designed to meld attributes of higher-priced premium vehicles with the practicality of entry-level models. The LaSalle marque was popular and successful, yet in the end, was a commercial failure as it siphoned sales away from Cadillac. Since the Cadillac marque was established and prestigious, the decision was made to keep Cadillac and end LaSalle.

General Motors recruited a young designer named Harley Earl away from the renowned custom bodyshop of Cadillac's California distributor, Don Lee. Earl was subsequently chosen to head up GM's seminal 'Art & Colour Section' and would remain there until retirement. The designs he created for the LaSalle automobile were inspired by Hispano-Suiza, one of the most sensational automobiles of the period. It had a similar chassis to its more 'senior' sibling, Cadillac, but was smaller, lighter, and equipped with a scaled-down L-head V-8 engine. During a ten-hour trial at General Motors' Michigan proving grounds, a roadster chassis was driven by experimental manager Willard Rader in a grueling 950-mile durability run, averaging 95.3 mph. This average speed was approximately 1.8 mph less than the one posted by that year's Indianapolis 500 winner.

The LaSalle Series 328 was introduced in August 1928 for the following model year, and its development was overseen by chief engineer Ernest W. Seaholm. Wheelbase sizes included 125-inch or 134-inch sizes and were offered in nineteen body styles, including fourteen Fisher and five Fleetwood semi-custom designs. Beneath its bonnet was a 5,375cc (328 cubic inches) V8 engine allied to a three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh. The use of synchromesh was a novelty during the late 1920s and allowed smoother and easier gear changes. Additional advanced mechanical specifications included a helical bevel final drive, safety glass, and Duplex-mechanical 15-inch drum brakes. The bodies were adorned with chrome-plated brightwork, extravagant body mouldings and rich colour schemes.

The early LaSalle models were designated Series 303, becoming the Series 328 in 1929 and the Series 340 in 1930, and new names each year thereafter. By 1934, the LaSalle had become nearly indistinguishable from the Cadillac, except that it was priced $500 less. Four body styles were offered and they were all by Fleetwood. Minimal changes were incorporated through 1939 when the LaSalle gained a new tall, narrow grille with side grilles. The glass area increased by twenty-five percent and running boards became a no-cost option. 1940 was the final year of LaSalle production.

The 1928 LaSalle Series 303
The 1928 LaSalle was nearly identical to the 1927 LaSalle. Among the minor updates were the previous shock absorbers were changed to Lovejoy hydraulic, the clutch was changed to twin disc, 16-inch drum brakes were added to the front, and side ventilators were added in the cowl on closed cars and twenty-eight louvers near the rear of the hood panels on all body styles. The Fleetwood sedan and coupe were dropped, and the transformable town cabriolet on the 134-inch wheelbase was introduced mid-year. The price of the five-passenger sedan and the business coupe had a lower price.

The 303 cubic-inch, ninety-degree, L-head V8 engine had three main bearings and mechanical valve lifters. With 4.8:1 compression, the engine developed approximately 75 horsepower. With the optional 5.3:1 compression, output increased. The three-speed selective sliding gear transmission was built in unit with the engine and had a twin-disc clutch. Stopping power was via mechanical brakes at all four corners, with the rear brakes measuring 14 inches and the fronts at 16 inches. Wheelbase sizes measured 125- and 134-inches.

The Fisher bodies resting on the 125-inch platform included a phaeton, sport phaeton, coup, convertible coupe, victoria, roadster, standard sedan, sedan, town sedan, family sedan, and business coupe. The Fisher bodies on the 134-inch wheelbase platform included a seven-passenger standard sedan, a 5- and 7-passenger Imperial, a coupe, a five-passenger cabriolet sedan, and a seven-passenger family sedan. Pricing for the Fisher bodies ranged from $2,350 to $2,975.

The Fleetwood bodies on the 125-inch wheelbase included a Transformable Town Cabriolet and a Town Cabriolet. The Transformable Town Cabriolet by Fleetwood was also available on the larger 134-inch wheelbase.

A total of 14,806 LaSalle Model 303 were sold in 1928.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022