For Sale: 1939 LaSalle 52 in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1939 Lasalle Series 52 Special Coupe

"LaSalle is invariably the choice of the man who looks under the hood when buying a car. He buys LaSalle because LaSalle's superiority is so readily discernible in its chassis construction; because Cadillac's standards of craftsmanship and materials are so evident in every part of the LaSalle chassis." Excerpted from a 1940 print ad which advertises a $1,240 price for the LaSalle.

For consignment, a 1939 LaSalle Series 52 Special coupe with a title verified 68,218 actual miles. According to our consignor, this car is titled as a 1939 but is actually a 1940 model. As the print ad touts, "LaSalle owners through the years enjoy the advantages of driving a medium-priced car built on a Cadillac foundation."

Exterior
Cadillac genes are evident of course, but the LaSalle takes on its own personality with dramatically canted B-pillars, extra rounded fenders, and art deco fascia. This one lacks the Sunshine Turret Top, (a type of sunroof), introduced in 1939, but retains the unique, narrow grille, flanked by vertical slats and giving way to symmetrical engine cover vents. The torpedo shaped hood ornament is like a silver bullet leading this Silver Metallic Harley Earl design. The 52 sits lower and wider than previous models and this one rides on 15-inch wire wheels and 75 series white wall tires with a late 2019 date code. The back half is especially stately, especially for the "sporty" version of the luxury line, with a sweeping silver decklid, attractive tail lights, and a robust rear bumper. Imperfections on this example include small chips and bubbling in numerous places, cracking paint, a crack in the windshield, evidence of filler, scuffs, and various scratches.

Interior
There's an art deco vibe that emanates first from the door panels which have an ornamental header and lower trim that frames a simple panel of blue cloth with a grouping of four pieces of metal hardware. That blue cloth on both doors is discolored and stained a bit, but fully intact. The same can't be said about the woven blue cloth on the split bench which shows some holes and discoloration while the rear bench is in better shape but still suffers from a hole, possibly the work of mice. Our banjo style steering wheel is wrapped by a modern vinyl cover and fronts a simple and elegant dashboard with a band that contains the sweeping speedometer with art deco font, grille like ornamentation, and a clock in front of the passenger. Gray carpet covers the floor along with rubber mats and the trunk is barren save for a rubber mat that shows the remnants of a Firestone spare tire.

Drivetrain
Under the hood is a 322ci flathead V8, rated at 130 horsepower and fueled via a 2-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a 3-speed manual transmission that routes power to the rear axle and 3.92 gears. Esthetically, the engine shows patina. It has been converted to a 12 volt system.

Undercarriage
With the exception of shiny muffler, its driver quality underneath with typical surface rust and patina, oil on the transmission and oil pans, and some residual fluid on the rear differential. A single exhaust runs through that new stock style muffler and drum brakes are on all four wheels. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and leaf springs in the back.

Drive-Ability
We're happy to report that this 86 year old is not only driveable, but performs well on the test loop.Its long stately hood gives way to an incredibly simple interior and control center and the car tracks straight for us and provides decent power. All functions operate as they should and we escort ourselves back to the mall. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

It's estimated that only about 3,000 Series 52 Special Coupes were produced in 1940 and even if that estimate was off by half, it still represents a rare car. We'd have no problem bringing this one to a show as is, but there's also room for some restoration here. Either way, you'll have a car with very few peers in the country.

TRIM TAG

STYLE NO 40 5227C-1940 Series 52 Special Coupe
BODY NO 617-Detroit Body #
TRIM 53-Tutone Gray/Green Bedford Cloth
PAINT 10-Homer Gray Iridescent

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.

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