LaSalle

LaSalle was an American luxury automobile marque manufactured and marketed by General Motors through its Cadillac division from 1927 through 1940. General Motors chairman Alfred P. Sloan created the brand as part of the company’s companion-make strategy, which was designed to fill perceived price and market gaps between GM’s established marques. LaSalle was paired with Cadillac and occupied a position below Cadillac but above Buick in GM’s intended hierarchy. Although Cadillac manufactured the cars, they were sold and titled as LaSalles rather than Cadillacs. The marque’s name referred to René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the French explorer whose name also supplied the historical association behind Cadillac. LaSalle’s first automobile appeared for the 1927 model year on GM’s C platform with Cadillac’s 90-degree V8. It was shorter and generally less expensive than a Cadillac, but it was not conceived simply as a stripped-down junior model. Harley Earl designed the original car with a more agile and contemporary appearance, drawing inspiration from European sports and luxury cars such as the Hispano-Suiza H6. The design helped establish LaSalle as one of the most distinctive American automobiles of its period and contributed to Earl’s growing influence over styling throughout General Motors. During its early years, LaSalle combined Cadillac engineering standards with a wide range of Fisher and Fleetwood body styles. The marque offered different wheelbases, coachwork choices, evolving V8 engines, and increasingly extensive equipment. A 1927 high-speed endurance run at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds demonstrated the performance potential of the new car, although the test ended early because of an oil-system problem. LaSalle also benefited from GM’s annual styling and equipment changes, which contrasted with the slower visual evolution of many competing American cars. The Great Depression weakened the market for expensive automobiles and complicated LaSalle’s position. Through the early 1930s, the marque continued to receive engine, body, and equipment updates, but its relationship with Cadillac became less straightforward. For 1934, LaSalle moved to a GM B platform and became more closely related mechanically to Oldsmobile and Buick products while retaining Cadillac-influenced styling and Fleetwood construction. It adopted an Oldsmobile-sourced flathead straight-eight rather than a V8 and introduced features including hydraulic brakes and modern vent windows. This reduced manufacturing costs and widened the distance between LaSalle and Cadillac, but it also challenged the brand’s luxury and Cadillac identity. LaSalle sales improved during the later 1930s, but the marque remained under pressure from successful competitors such as Packard’s One-Twenty and the Lincoln-Zephyr. In 1937, Cadillac restored a closer technical connection by giving LaSalle a Cadillac 322-cubic-inch V8 and emphasizing that the cars were completely Cadillac-built. Sales reached approximately 32,000 units for that model year, a substantial improvement, but the brand still did not achieve the competitive strength GM sought. The final LaSalles, sold for the 1939 and 1940 model years, moved visually closer to Cadillac and introduced details such as the optional Sunshine Turret Top sunroof. Sales rose from 15,501 in 1938 to 23,028 in 1939 and 24,133 in 1940, the marque’s second-best annual result. Nevertheless, General Motors decided not to continue LaSalle into the 1941 model year. Several possible replacement designs were developed, but the Cadillac range absorbed much of the brand’s intended market space. LaSalle therefore ended as a standalone marque after the 1940 model year. Its lasting significance lies in its role in GM’s market-segmentation strategy, Harley Earl’s formative styling work, and the influence of its designs on later Cadillac automobiles.

LaSalle originated in Alfred P. Sloan’s General Motors companion-make program. Sloan’s market segmentation placed GM brands at successive price and prestige levels, but product improvements and changing prices created gaps between established marques. Companion brands were intended to bridge those gaps while using existing dealer and manufacturing networks. Cadillac, whose prices had risen during the prosperous 1920s, was assigned LaSalle as a lower-priced companion. The first LaSalle was introduced for 1927. Cadillac manufactured the cars at a dedicated facility, and the initial model used Cadillac’s V8 and GM’s C platform. Harley Earl designed the automobile under the direction of Cadillac general manager Lawrence P. Fisher. Earl gave it a shorter, more athletic proportion than a full-size Cadillac and incorporated styling cues associated with European luxury cars. The result was a relatively advanced American design that helped demonstrate the commercial value of annual styling changes and made Earl a central figure in GM design. Early LaSalles were offered in multiple wheelbases and with bodies supplied by Fisher and Fleetwood. The Series 303 continued into 1928, followed by the Series 328 in 1929 and Series 340 in 1930. Mechanical improvements included revised engines, hydraulic shock absorbers, twin-disc clutch equipment, broader body selections, and optional radios. In 1927, a LaSalle completed a high-speed endurance demonstration at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds, covering 952 miles at an average speed of 95.2 mph before an oil-system issue ended the run. The market environment changed sharply after the 1929 Wall Street Crash. LaSalle continued to receive annual updates, including the Series 345-A for 1931 and Series 345-B and 345-C for 1932 and 1933, but luxury-car demand was constrained. For 1934, the marque was redesigned as the Series 50 Model 350. It moved from Cadillac’s C platform to the GM B platform and shared more of its underlying architecture with Oldsmobile and Buick. Its Oldsmobile-sourced flathead straight-eight replaced the earlier V8, while styling remained close to senior Cadillac models. The 1934 car also used hydraulic brakes and newly developed individually controlled vent windows, later known as Ventiplanes. This change reduced costs and placed LaSalle further below Cadillac, but it weakened the clarity of the brand’s premium identity. Sales were 7,195 in 1934, 8,651 in 1935, and 13,004 in 1936. The marque faced strong competition from more affordable and well-regarded cars, including the Packard One-Twenty and, from 1936, the Lincoln-Zephyr. LaSalle’s 1935, 1936, and 1937 versions were designated Series 35-50, Series 36-50, and Series 37-50 respectively. Cadillac attempted to restore LaSalle’s distinctiveness in 1937. The car received a Cadillac 322-cubic-inch V8, new styling, a lower price range, and promotion stressing its Cadillac manufacture. Model-year sales rose to roughly 32,000, but the improvement did not establish LaSalle as a durable competitor to Packard or solve its strategic overlap with Cadillac and other GM products. The 1938 model was followed by the Series 39-50 for 1939. Its styling became more Cadillac-like, while an optional sunroof was marketed as the Sunshine Turret Top. Sales increased from 15,501 in 1938 to 23,028 in 1939. The final 1940 cars used a smooth, rounded design with a narrow grille and extensive chrome detailing. They were offered in several semi-custom body styles, including a convertible sedan, and the range also included the lower, wider Series 40-52 Special with GM’s Torpedo-style body. LaSalle sales reached 24,133 in 1940. GM considered multiple designs for a 1941 LaSalle, including proposals based on the C and B platforms and a modified body related to the Cadillac Series 63. The company ultimately dropped the marque rather than continue it. Cadillac models absorbed much of the space LaSalle had occupied, ending the brand’s production after 14 model years. LaSalle is remembered for combining Cadillac’s engineering resources with Harley Earl’s influential styling and for illustrating both the strengths and limitations of GM’s companion-brand strategy.

• 1940

  Final LaSalle model year

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The redesigned Series 40-50 and Series 40-52 Special become the last LaSalle automobiles; production ends after the model year.

• 1939

  Sunshine Turret Top offered

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  LaSalle adds an optional sunroof marketed under the Sunshine Turret Top name, while sales rise substantially from the prior year.

• 1937

  Cadillac connection is strengthened

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The Series 37-50 returns to a Cadillac V8 and receives a campaign emphasizing Cadillac engineering and manufacture.

• 1934

  LaSalle shifts to the GM B platform

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The Series 50 Model 350 adopts closer mechanical ties to Oldsmobile and Buick and uses an Oldsmobile-derived straight-eight engine.

• 1930

  Series 340 introduced

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The marque receives an engine update, a single 134-inch wheelbase, revised body choices, and radio availability as an option.

• 1927

  LaSalle is introduced

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  General Motors launches LaSalle as Cadillac’s companion marque, using Cadillac’s V8 and a shorter, more sporting design by Harley Earl.

• 1927

  Milford Proving Grounds endurance run

  [1]LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  A LaSalle covers 952 miles at an average speed of 95.2 mph during a high-speed test before an oil-system problem ends the demonstration.

Luxury automobiles positioned below Cadillac and above Buick within General Motors’ companion-make hierarchy.

• Luxury automobile · 1927

  LaSalle Series 303

  The inaugural 1927 LaSalle used Cadillac’s 90-degree V8 and GM’s C platform. It was offered in shorter and longer wheelbases with Fisher and Fleetwood coachwork. Harley Earl’s design gave the car a more compact and agile appearance than a Cadillac, establishing LaSalle as a stylish companion marque rather than merely a reduced-equipment Cadillac.

• Luxury automobile · 1929

  LaSalle Series 328

  Introduced for 1929, the Series 328 brought an updated engine and revised body offerings. Fisher and Fleetwood continued to provide a broad selection of coupes, sedans, and convertible-oriented coachwork, while LaSalle retained its role as a lower-priced Cadillac-associated automobile.

• Luxury automobile · 1930

  LaSalle Series 340

  The 1930 Series 340 represented another engineering and body-program update. It used a 134-inch wheelbase, offered multiple body and wheel choices, and made a radio available as an option. Its positioning remained below Cadillac despite close technical and manufacturing ties.

• Luxury automobile · 1934

  LaSalle Series 50 Model 350

  The 1934 redesign moved LaSalle to GM’s B platform and made it more closely related to Oldsmobile and Buick products. It used an Oldsmobile-sourced flathead straight-eight, Fleetwood bodies, hydraulic brakes, and a thinner Cadillac-influenced grille. The model was intended to reduce costs while preserving a premium appearance.

• Luxury automobile · 1937

  LaSalle Series 37-50

  The 1937 Series 37-50 restored a Cadillac 322-cubic-inch V8 and received new styling and revised pricing. Cadillac’s marketing emphasized that the car was completely Cadillac-built, an effort to reinforce LaSalle’s prestige after several years of closer mechanical association with lower-priced GM divisions.

• Luxury automobile · 1939

  LaSalle Series 39-50

  The 1939 Series 39-50 adopted a more Cadillac-like appearance and offered the Sunshine Turret Top sunroof. Its grille and body treatment reflected the marque’s late effort to maintain a distinct but closely related position within Cadillac’s range.

• Luxury automobile · 1940

  LaSalle Series 40-50 and Series 40-52 Special

  The final 1940 range featured flowing redesigned bodies, narrow grille openings, and a broad selection of semi-custom styles. The Series 40-52 Special used GM’s newer, lower Torpedo-style body. Together, these models delivered LaSalle’s second-highest sales year before the marque was discontinued.

• 1937Completely Cadillac-built positioning

  United States

  Cadillac promoted the redesigned LaSalle as completely Cadillac-built, highlighting its Cadillac V8 and renewed connection to the senior division in response to competition and concerns about brand identity.

  Outcome. Sales improved considerably in 1937, but the repositioning did not lead to long-term continuation of the marque.

  Source
• 1937Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

  United States

  A 1937 LaSalle Series 37-50 convertible served as the Indianapolis 500 pace car during Cadillac’s effort to reinforce the model’s performance and luxury credentials.

  Outcome. The event provided additional national exposure for the redesigned LaSalle.

  Source
• 1934Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

  United States

  A 1934 LaSalle Series 50 Model 350 was selected as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500, giving the newly repositioned model prominent motorsport-event visibility.

  Outcome. The selection associated LaSalle with one of the United States’ most visible automobile events.

  Source

• 1940

  Discontinue the LaSalle marqueStrategy

  Background

  Although the final models achieved strong sales compared with several earlier years, LaSalle continued to overlap with Cadillac and other GM products.

  Action taken

  General Motors ended LaSalle production after the 1940 model year and considered absorbing its market role into Cadillac’s model range.

  Aftermath

  No 1941 LaSalle entered production, and several proposed replacement designs were not adopted as a continuing LaSalle line.

  Source

• 1937

  Return LaSalle to a Cadillac V8Generation change

  Background

  LaSalle faced strong competition from Packard and Lincoln while its shared-component strategy had not delivered sufficient market strength.

  Action taken

  Cadillac gave LaSalle a 322-cubic-inch V8, redesigned styling, revised pricing, and marketing centered on Cadillac manufacture.

  Aftermath

  Sales rose to about 32,000 for the model year, but the improvement was insufficient to secure the brand’s long-term future.

  Source

• 1934

  Move LaSalle toward shared GM componentsStrategy

  Background

  The Depression placed pressure on luxury-car costs and demand, while Cadillac needed a less expensive product to support its division.

  Action taken

  LaSalle moved to the GM B platform, adopted an Oldsmobile-derived straight-eight, and used a greater mix of components from other GM divisions.

  Aftermath

  Manufacturing economics improved, but the change weakened the clarity of LaSalle’s Cadillac identity and did not generate proportionate sales growth.

  Source

• 1927

  Create LaSalle as Cadillac’s companion marqueStrategy

  Background

  GM’s market-segmentation program identified a price and prestige gap between Buick and Cadillac as Cadillac prices rose during the 1920s.

  Action taken

  General Motors established LaSalle as a separate, lower-priced marque using Cadillac division manufacturing, engineering, and dealer infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  The brand filled a strategic gap and became an important early styling showcase, but its position remained vulnerable to overlap with other GM marques.

  Source

1. 1LaSalle (automobile)en.wikipedia.org