Vehicle Description
1940 LaSalle Series 52 Special Coupe
Boy the way Glen Miller played,
Songs that made the hit parade,
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days,
And you know where you were then,
Girls were girls and men were men,
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again,
Didn't need no welfare states
Everybody pulled his weight,
Gee our old LaSalle ran great,
Those were the days...
From a time when the world was different and maybe even better, we
give you a 1940 LaSalle Series 52 coupe. 13 years ago, it underwent
a restoration of the engine, drive train, brakes, body and paint,
and other extras. Our current consigner although reluctant to see
his baby go away, cannot drive anymore due to orthopedic issues. A
good driver that has a crack in the rear driver's side window, but
otherwise she's very nicely done and preserved. 44,675 original
miles makes it special as well.
Exterior
This design leader in the form of a Series 52 Special bears Harley
Earl's latest "torpedo" look. Sealed beams are now down into the
fenders. Body lines are gently rounded and clean, and the trademark
LaSalle grille arguably reached its pinnacle: still slimmer than
Cadillac's but artfully shaped. Like the '39s, this 1940 models
wears vertical brightwork in the "catwalk" areas between grille and
headlamps (another Earl idea), but the catwalks are now wider and
fully integrated with the fenders. This two door coupe is bathed in
what the consigner calls white, I'll call it vanilla cream because
it is delicious, nice and shiny and very nicely preserved from
2013. Extra accessory bumper is now in in addition to the standard
fare, and it is all nice and mirror like. From its pulled back rear
window, to the trunk lid and rear quarters that look like they are
going 100MPH while standing still...the lines of this car are just
magnificent. Red steel wheels with some dish trimmings and moon
caps in chrome with red centered badges, I'm the boogie boogie
bugle boy of company B!
Interior
A swing the door, and suede in tan covers the door panels and
greets one with a smile. Some stitching creates faux panels, and
nicely polished knobs and handles are on. Slipping inside I can
place my torso on to the wide split bench in striped broadcloth
coverings for the front and rear seats, and suede bolsters that
match the door panels are carrying on throughout. A simple but
effective dash, in light tan topper and darker brown dash front,
houses art deco styled instruments, and plenty of vertical chromed
ribs for the center with the radio. A nice banjo styled steering
wheel in good condition with a bakelite surround in light cream,
has a badged center, and a horn ring rounding it 3/4 of the way
around. A heater box, and an aftermarket water temp gauge hang
above pristine tan carpet flooding the floor. Upper interior pillar
surfaces and the headliner are covered in more suede which is
overall fairly tight.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a dusty but rust-free engine showing in 322ci and
V8 setup. There is a single 2-barrel carburetor by Carter now on
top, underneath the oil bath air cleaning system. On back is the
original 3-speed manual transmission, and this pushes power back to
a 3.92 rear axle. Has an added electric fuel pump and an electric
radiator fan.
Undercarriage
Under this car is a structurally sound X frame with clean floorpans
and rockers. Some earlier repairs have been performed but very
nicely, and all appears to be good underneath. Independent coil
springs for the front suspension, and leaf springs for the rear,
and drum brakes all around leave us with a structurally sound frame
and undercarriage.
Drive-Ability
Our crash test dummy decoder (although he's a genius and far from a
dummy, I just said that because he proofs these descriptions!) took
this one for a ride and described great acceleration, nice
handling, and a great ride, with very smooth shifting. He also
reported the radio, and heater blower are inoperable. Plenty of
power for this LaSalle
Wonderful would describe this 1940 example, where Harley Earl was
at his finest. Great flowing lines, giving this car a moving while
standing still pontoon styled look. The interior is just beautiful,
and looking original but all buttoned up, and the wide whites with
that sexy grille is worth the price of admission.
TRIM TAG DECODE
STYLE NO 40 5227G- 1940 Series 52 Special 2 Door Coupe
BODY NO 2513
TRIM NO 51-Two Tone Tan Bedford Cloth
PAINT NO 1-Black
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
