1935 LaSalle Series 50

Alfred P. Sloan was the president of General Motors and Lawrence P. Fisher was the president of Cadillac when they conceived a companion marque for Cadillac. GM had a hierarchy of brands for 'every purse and purpose' by the mid-1920s, but the gap between Buick and Cadillac was over $1,000. Hoping to keep customers within the GM fold, the LaSalle marque was birthed.

Heading up the newly formed 'Art and Colour Section' was a young designer named Harley Earl, who had caught the attention of GM management for his stylish, elegant and colorful custom body designs. Earl and his team were tasked with creating new coachwork for these 'junior Cadillacs', what they penned were youthful, sporty, and modern, and intended to be driven by its owner rather than by a chauffeur.

The LaSalle brand debuted in March 1927, and although its existence was brief, it is best remembered for establishing the automotive world's first inhouse styling department. Its demise was ultimately in its success, as many would-be buyers of Cadillac were attracted to LaSalle, and as it encroached on Cadillac's sales, GM reluctantly made the difficult decision to bring its existence to an end in 1940.

Like Cadillac, which was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the LaSalle marque was named after another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

LaSalle automobiles were manufactured by Cadillac but were shorter than Cadillac, less expensive, and often benefitted from its technology and luxurious accouterments.

1935 LaSalle

Considering the Great Depression, 1935 was a pretty good year for the LaSalle marque in terms of sales. The prior year, the company had sold 7,195 examples; in 1935, it had a total of 8,651. The numbers would continue to rise in the years to come, with 13,004 units sold in 1936 and 32,000 sold in 1937.

The post-Great Depression era was a difficult one, resulting in many marque's dropping the prices on all of their vehicles or adding additional paint schemes, numerous options, and many incentives in order to create a sale. Packard introduced its One-Twenty line, and Lincoln had its Zephyr, which were strong competitors in the low-cost luxury market.

The base price of the LaSalle in 1935 was around $1500. Few styling changes had occurred over the prior years. A two-door and four-door 'trunk-back' sedan body style was added to the line. Horsepower rose slightly, from 90 to 95.

The L-head, eight-cylinder engine displaced 248 cubic inches and had five main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and Stromberg Duplex downdraft carburetors. It used a three-speed, selective, synchromesh transmission with a single plate dry disc clutch. Hydraulic brakes were located on all four wheels. The wheelbase measured 120 inches and had a length of 200 inches.

Convertible Coupe by Fisher
Chassis number: 2205630
Engine number: 2205630

The LaSalle was very popular when it was first introduced in 1927, but by 1932 sales had plummeted to 3,386 cars. This was down from 22,961 from just three years earlier. Discussions about discontinuing the brand began, even though it was still outselling its senior sibling, the Cadillac. These talks were quieted when famed Harley Earl gave it new life with updated styling.

The new LaSalle design was introduced in 1934 and featured a newly designed chassis and an L-head straight-eight from Oldsmobile. The vehicle had lightweight Lynite aluminum pistons, a single plate clutch, hydraulic brakes (which was a first for the General), and an independent front suspension.

This 1935 LaSalle Convertible Coupe wears coachwork by Fisher and rides on a wheelbase that measures 120 inches. It was delivered new to the New York Branch in mid-June of 1935. It left the factory with the X and D accessory groups, which included fender-mounted spare wheels and metal tire covers, wheel disc covers, chrome wheel trim rings, rumble seat, radio and antennal, right-hand sun visor, flexible steering wheel, license frame, electric clock, torpedo ornament, securing plate glass, wheel disc covers, and chrome hood ports.

In 2008, this vehicle, one of only 874 examples produced, was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It had an estimated value of $120,000 - $140,000. It had a high bid of $85,000, but this was not enough to satisfy the vehicle's reserve. The lot was not sold.

Later, the car received a frame-off restoration by R & E Engineering of Manchester, Michigan, by owner Frank Zapalla of Michigan. Great effort was made to ensure that the car was restored in great detail to its original state.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe by Fisher

General Motors tiered its models to allow buyers to move up in price and prestige as their fortunes improved. LaSalle was designed as a stylish entry to fill the gap between Buick and Cadillac. The LaSalle is often referred to as Cadillac's 'Companion Car.' 1927 was the inaugural year and the vehicles were designed by Harley Earl. Sales were initially strong, but as the world inched closer to the Great Depression, sales began to slow from a 1929 high of almost 23,000 to 3,386 in 1932. The LaSalle would remain in production through 1940.

In 1934, a new design was introduced and helped save the marque. Changes included a thin vertical grille (an art deco influence of the day), teardrop headlights, and five circular hood ports. The 1934-35 models were restyled by General Motors' head designer, Harley Earl, who was chosen to head up the company's then-new Art and Color Department in 1926. For 1935, the LaSaslle convertible coupe sold for $1,325. Power was supplied by a 248 cubic-inch, inline eight-cylinder motor that developed 105 horsepower. Wheelbase was 120 inches. For the first time, LaSalle featured an all-steel turret top.

These automobiles are among the first General Motors designs to feature streamlining and art deco influence, shown through the narrow flowing and slim vertical grille, the slanted split-vee windshield, the teardrop headlights, and the rocket taillight assemblies. They also feature Earl's signature five circular hood ports and the rear-hinged suicide doors.

Power the Convertible Coupe Roadster is a 248 cubic-inch straight eight. In total, 874 convertible coupes were built in 1935. This example has been in the same family since 1962. In the 1950s and early 1960's, it sat near their home in a garage in Harper Woods, Michigan. The neighbor's son had driven the LaSalle home from Naval duty in California. From there, it passed the years virtually untouched until it was purchased by the current owner's father. It then sat for nearly five decades in his tool and die shop. IN 2005, he inherited it, and finally, in 2010, it underwent a frame-off restoration returning it to its original glory. The restoration was completed in 2011.

Convertible Coupe by Fisher

This Car was bought new by Mr. Davis' father and sold in 1939-40. It was found by the current owner in 1995, only 35 miles from where it had been traded in. It was restored as delivered new by D & D Classic Auto. Is a Preservation winner in AACA; won Bill Mitchell Trophy at Meadowbrook Concours; won Best LaSalle at CCCA Museum Grand Experience.

Convertible Coupe by Fisher
Chassis number: 22-7059

A new line of LaSalle automobiles was introduced to the automotive marketplace in 1934. Along with attractive styling, an X-type chassis, hydraulic brakes, and independent suspension, the LaSalle automobiles were priced at $1,000 under the least expensive Cadillac. Design elements included streamlined curves, circular 'ventiports' along the hood, and teardrop headlamps.

This 1935 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible Coupe wears a black exterior with a tan top, bright red wheels, and whitewall tires. There are dual side-mounted spares, mirrors, and dual driving lights fixed to the bumper.

The current caretaker acquired this LaSalle in 2010 from the Lowell Dunne Collection. It is believed that much of the vehicle is original, including the exterior paint scheme; the interior was re-trimmed at some point in the past.

by Dan Vaughan

During the first two decades of the 1900's, Cadillac was the leader in the U.S. luxury car market. It wasn't until around 1925, when Packard Automobiles began replacing Cadillac as America's new favorite in the premium automobile market, that Cadillac realized that it needed to step it up.

With the bottom-end Cadillac priced at $3195, many consumers were unwilling to spend such a significant amount when the top-of-the-line Buick cost $1925. In the years following World War I, Packard's smart new group of lower-priced, high-quality 'pocket-size' vehicles were responsible for running away with the luxury market and, consequently, much of GM's business.

Conceived as a baby Cadillac with a bit more added style, the La Salle series was introduced on March 5, 1927. To present a youthful, dashing image completely opposite from the staid and proper Cadillac, the La Salle series was meant to be a stepping stone in a perceived gap between Cadillac and Buick in GM's lineup. Priced just above the Buick, the La Salle was designed to be a complete model line that would adequately fill out GM's product roster. The name La Salle was chosen in reference to the famed French explorer that Cadillac had been named after, as one of his compatriots.

Wanting the La Salle to be considerably more stylish than the Cadillac, President of GM Larry Fisher hired a young stylist from Cadillac's California distributor to aid in the design of the new junior series. Harley Earl was given the job as a consultant to design the first La Salle. Though assumed to be only hired for this specific task, Earl went on to become the company's director of design until he retired some 30 years later. During Earl's time at Cadillac, he influenced the entire industry in the areas of both styling and marketing strategy.

The original La Salle produced in 1927 became the first mass-production vehicle to be consciously 'styled' in the modern sense. Considered the most fashionable American automobile of its day, the LaSalle was the first of the smaller and more maneuverable luxury vehicles. The LaSalle was also the pioneer in the automobile color industry. Until this point, all vehicles were produced in only black Japan enamel, the only finish available to dry quickly enough to stand up to the pace of mass production. The introduction to DuPont Chemical Company's fast-drying, polychromatic duco finishes in '24 supplied automobiles with a stunning array of colors. La Salle became one of the first cars to take advantage of this modern advancement.

The Series 350 was introduced in 1934 and was considered more like an Oldsmobile than a Cadillac. Borrowing an L-head straight eight from the Oldsmobile division to replace the traditional Cadillac V-8, the new series shared the same 240.3-cubic-inch (4-liter) displacement. A completely redesigned chassis was introduced with a much shorter 119-inch wheelbase. Since the beginning of the La Salle, the double-plate type clutch was utilized before being replaced with a single-plate clutch. Hydraulic brakes were also newly adopted into the series, adding another first to GM's repertoire.

Independent front suspension now reduced the unsprung weight problem that had been an issue since 1933. Cadillac reduced the price of the LaSalle base models by $650 with these cost-cutting new innovative features.

Considered to be the automotive industry fashion leader, the La Salle was equally impressive from its design side. The new design styling for the 1934 model was considered dramatic and eye-catching. High-set headlamps in bullet-shaped pods were placed on both sides of a tall, narrow vee'd radiator, along with curvy 'pontoon' fenders at both the front and rear. Wheels were encased in smart chromed discs while hood vent doors gave to 'portholes'.

The La Salle featured bumpers that emulated the shape of twin slim blades separated by two bullets, similar to the '27 Cadillacs. Trunks were absorbed into the main body on all models and spare tires moved inside the vehicles. The LaSalle Series 50 featured a four-door sedan, a new five-passenger club sedan, a two-seat coupe and a rumble-seat convertible coupe in its 1934 lineup. All models showcased Fleetwood's bodywork and rear-hinged front doors. Cadillac's standard of quality and luxury were still rated as outstanding despite the money-saving measures. For the 1934 Indianapolis 500, the '34 LaSalle was chosen as a pace car for that year.

Unfortunately, the following year's sales dipped far below expectations, even though they doubled the previous year's total. A total of only 7195 models were produced for 1934 year.

Not much styling was changed for the 1935 LaSalle Series 50. Updates included two-door and four-door 'trunkback' sedans joining the line with an industry trend. Fisher's new 'Turret-Top' construction was introduced to replace the original closed body styles. This update required steel to replace the traditional fabric inserted into the roof. Horsepower was up from 90 to 95 with a slightly higher compression ratio. Very few mechanical changes were made for the '35 model.

Due to the release of Packard's new One-Twenty, about the same size as LaSalle, though slightly lighter and 16% more powerful and cost $450 less, LaSalle sales suffered.

The following year Cadillac responded to the competition by reducing the little-changed Series 50 by $320, though even this wasn't enough to stimulate sales significantly. Packard's One-Twenty continued to thrive and outsold the LaSalle by better than four to one for 1936.

Time to try a new approach, Cadillac next introduced a new 'compact' Series 60 that same season.

by Jessican Donaldson