Styling for a standard production car in the U.S. before the mid-1920s was little more than an afterthought. Henry Leland found this out the hard way in 1920 when he introduced the car named after his favorite American president, Lincoln. While Leland’s mechanical genius was clearly evident in the Lincolns reliability, its styling was about as appealing as a visit to the dentist. It was only when Henry Ford snapped up Lincoln in 1922 that things began to change. With lessons learned from observation, Cadillac did not want to make the same mistake when introducing their new companion car called the La Salle in 1927. They actually hired a young stylist by the name of Harley Earl to take charge of the new car. What followed completely shocked the motoring public as the beautiful lines of the La Salle were actually compared to that of the exquisite Hispano-Suiza. So it was that Detroit had finally realized that it took more than reliability to sell a car and the American automobile had now turned a corner with beauty and style taking a front seat in the appeal of the motorcar. The LaSalle name continued alongside Cadillac for a decade and in that time they turned out some very stylish cars.
Featured here is a fine LaSalle in the form of a 1940 Model 40-5027 coupe in LaSalle’s beautiful color of Long Key Green Iridescent. This is a handsome car that rides on a 123-inch wheelbase and looks splendid from any angle with its elegant Art Deco themed hood ornament and wide white wall tires. New for 1940 were headlamps that were integrated with the fenders for a smooth and streamlined look. Elegantly styled side hood louvers add a touch of class and a split front windshield looks right at home on a car of this vintage. The interior is upholstered in fine wool broadcloth and the dashboard is finished in tan with Art Deco inspired gauges and a fashionably styled steering wheel in ivory. LaSalle’s fine engineering is demonstrated by the smooth sound of its 322 cubic-inch V-8. This LaSalle wears an older restoration that has held up well and it still presents as an outstanding car.
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The LaSalle name has long been relegated to history, but this beautiful coupe takes us back to a time of elegance and charm in a body style that’s long gone. For the collector of great American cars this LaSalle is ready for show and go.
