For Sale: 1940 LaSalle 50 in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1940 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible 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 50 Convertible Coupe. Wearing an older restoration of the engine, drive train, brakes, body and paint, and other extras, our current consignor, although reluctant to see his baby go away, has decided it'stime for you to snap up the opportunity. A good driver that is in need of a little mechanical TLC before being put back into show and tour duties, but otherwise she's very nicely done and preserved making this rarely seen model special as well.

Exterior
This design leader in the form of a Series 50 bears Harley Earl's latest "torpedo" look. Sealed beams are now melting into the fender the fenders and the body lines are gently rounded and clean. The trademark LaSalle grille arguably reached its pinnacle this year: still slimmer than Cadillac's but artfully shaped. Like the '39s, this 1940 model 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 convertible coupe is bathed in what the Lasalle called Corlear Blue Iridescent, which exudes a calming quality, nice and shiny and very nicely preserved. An extra accessory bedrail style bumper is now on in addition to the standard fare, and it is all nice but not without tarnish and some rusting. From its nearly new white canvas convertible top, 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 woogie bugle boy of company B!

Interior
A swing the door and textured vinyl in marbled blue makes up the panels and greets one with a smile. Some embossing splits the panels, and nicely polished knobs and handles are on. Slipping inside I can place my torso on to the wide split bench in lightly soiled marble blue vinyl coverings for the front and rear seats, and blue bolsters that match the door panels are carrying on throughout. A simple but effective dash in contrasting gray houses Art Deco styled instruments, and plenty of vertical chromed ribs for the center. A nice banjo style 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 the glovebox hang above a mix of soiled gold carpeting and black rubber matting that floods the floors.

Drivetrain
Under the hood is a very clean and 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. We note the engine has a fresh coating of green paint and appears to be drip and leak free.

Undercarriage
Under this car is a structurally sound X frame with clean floor pans and rockers. Some surface rust is showing on the usual suspects, but all appears to be good underneath. We see a newer fuel tank, newer brake hoses and a new single exhaust from the muffler back. Independent coil springs for the front suspension, and leaf springs for the rear, and drum brakes all around are noted on this structurally sound frame and undercarriage.

Drive-Ability
Not knowing the condition of the fuel in the tank kept us from driving this rolling piece of art. However, we can say that with a fresh battery and some starting fluid the engine did come to life and idled nicely.

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 very nice, and looking original but all buttoned up, and the wide whites with that sexy grille is worth the price of admission.

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 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.