1931 LaSalle Model 345A

The LaSalle automobile was produced from 1927 through 1940 and was intended to be a less-expensive companion marque for Cadillac. They were manufactured by Cadillac, similar to Cadillac but smaller, and were General Motors' second-most prestigious marque. By 1928, General Motors owned 100 percent of Fisher, and nearly all the bodies produced by Fleetwood were used on Cadillac and LaSalles.

Prior to LaSalle, General Motors' product lineup included the entry-level Chevrolet, followed by the Pontiac, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Viking, Marquette, Buick, and Cadillac. The new Pontiac marque was a six-cylinder car designed to sell for the price of a four-cylinder and positioned between Chevy and Oakland. The Viking and Marquette marques were short-lived, with the Viking lasting from 1929 to 1931. The new LaSalle marque filled the gap that existed between Buick and Cadillac.

The LaSalle used the GM C platform which it shared with Cadillac, built to Cadillac's high standards, and wore styling by Harley Earl in a full range of body styles, including Fisher and Fleetwood Metal Body-built custom designs. The wheelbases ranged between 128- and 134-inches and the open cars could be finished in tri-tone color combinations. Power was from a new engine that it shared with Cadillac. Prior to this, Cadillac's V8 engine had not changed since the Type 51 of 1915. Both the 341 Cadillac and the 303 LaSalle engine were nearly identical in configuration, with both having offset blocks, oil level indicators located behind the right-hand block, oi filter mounted on the engine, horizontal starter along the right side of the transmission, side-by-side connecting rods, single exhaust system, and a manifold vacuum and vacuum pump operating the fuel feed system and windshield wipers.

For 1931, body styles on the LaSalle included six Fleetwood semi-customs and seven standard styles by Fisher. The total production for 1931 reached 10,095 units. LaSalle had sold 16,850 vehicles during its introductory year, and 9,956 the second. For 1929, they sold 22,961 vehicles and 11,005 the following year. As the Great Depression worsened, sales throughout the industry slipped, and the LaSalle was not immune to its effects. Just 3,290 were sold in 1932 and 3,381 the following year. Sales started to rebound in 1934, with 7,218 examples sold, but perhaps the most exciting news for 1934 was a LaSalle convertible coupe that served pace car duties at the Indianapolis 500. By 1935, sales had increased to 13,004 units and they would continue to remain consistent, even exceeding Cadillac's sales since 1933. 1935 was the year Packard introduced its medium-priced One-Twenty, which is credited for saving the Packard marque but also criticized as being the reason for the Packard's eventual demise, as many believe it diluted the prestige of the Packard name. Nevertheless, it sold well and provided Packard with a much-needed influx of financial resources, and it consistently outsold the LaSalle by an average of 72 percent over the six-year period of 1935 through 1940.

The 1931 LaSalle was offered as a single model - the 345-A Eight and was similar to the previous year's 340, except the had a new oval instrument panel and a single bar bumper replaced the prior year's double-bar setup. The wheelbase remained 134 inches and the overall length measured 202 inches. The 353 CID engine delivered approximately 95 horsepower at 3,000 RPM and was backed by a three-speed selective, synchromesh transmission with a twin-disc clutch and shaft drive. Mechanical 15-inch drum brakes were on all four corners, as were standard 19-inch wooden artillery wheels. The large radiator and stanchion-mounted headlamps gave the 1931 LaSalle a powerful stance and appearance and were clearly related to the 1930/1931 Cadillac V-16 models.

Another change for 1931 was the hood louvers were replaced by doors on both Cadillac and LaSalle V-8. Together with radiator stone guards, this made them resemble the big V-12 and V-16 models.

Like Cadillac - named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac- the LaSalle brand name was based on that of another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2008