Vehicle Description
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.
