For Sale at Auction: 1934 LaSalle Coupe in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. 21-2623
Engine No. 2102623
Body No. 147

Introduced in 1927 as Cadillac's more attainable companion, LaSalle was positioned as a stylish, finely built marque proudly advertised with, and serviced by, Cadillac. It quickly found success, yet by 1933, due to the Great Depression, GM leadership considered canceling the brand. Harley J. Earl-head of GM's pioneering Art & Colour Section-pressed to show management the new LaSalle his team had shaped, drawing on aeronautic themes and the elegance of European coachwork. He is said to have declared: "Gentlemen, if you decide to discontinue the LaSalle, this is the car you are not going to build."

As a result of Earl's brand-saving declaration, the 1934 LaSalle Series 350 lineup was presented as an entirely new automobile. Crafted by Fleetwood, its harmonious body was adorned with numerous Art Deco styling details including its bi-plane bumpers, circular "half-moon" ventiports along the hood, teardrop headlamps, dramatically narrow grille, and chrome trim accents. For the first time in a LaSalle, power came from a straight-eight engine, mounted on an X-type frame that reduced the overall height of the car by four inches, a new Synchromesh transmission, hydraulic brakes, and independent front suspension.

Chassis number 21-2623, a two-passenger Coupe with a rumble seat was, according to the copy of its build sheet accompanying the car, shipped to Willis-Lucas Cadillac Company in Saint Joseph, Missouri, and charged to the Greenlease Motor Car Company in Kansas City. Factory-fitted optional equipment included a graceful and airy LaSalle "Torpedo" radiator ornament still proudly in place, and a flexible banjo steering wheel, both costly options in their day.

Restored for the distinguished Bill & Patti Spurling Collection, the Coupe was the subject of a painstaking four-year restoration following a decade-long search for a solid, original car on which to base it. Commencing in 2020, the restoration was undertaken with evident taste and care and retaining its number-matching chassis, body, and engine. The body wears a two-tone color scheme hand-picked by Mr. Spurling and masterfully executed in pale yellow, with green-accented fenders, circular ports, and fender skirts that appear to be directly from Earl at Art & Colour himself! The interior is equally charming. Richly appointed with verdant green wool carpeting, Art Deco wool houndstooth checkered fabric on the bench seat and door panels, and green woodgrain trim framing the windows and dashboard, the cabin exquisitely complements the exterior color scheme.

As when new, this two-passenger Series 350 Coupe offers the opportunity to acquire a collectible prewar automobile of vibrance and genuine charm. This example would serve as a fine touring automobile for a new owner to present at AACA events, where awards would surely follow.