1940 LaSalle 52 Coupe Walkaround

The 1940 LaSalle was the last of that breed.  Even though sales were strong, Cadillac management decided to kill the brand, but continue LaSalles as Series 61 Cadillacs for the 1941 model year.

There were two General Motors body platforms used by LaSalle for 1940.  LaSalle 50s used GM's B-body that was redesigned for 1939.  The redesigned C-body appeared for 1940 and was used by LaSalle 52 Specials.  These were more attractive, more modern looking than the B-body versions.

For me, the best-looking 52s were coupes.  When I was growing up in Seattle, I often spied a two-tone green LaSalle 52 coupe parked in a driveway on 12th Avenue Northeast near Northeast 77th Street.  Loved it.

Today's post is a slightly abbreviated walkaround of a coupe of that design.

The images below are of a 1940 LaSalle 52 Special Coupe being auctioned by Mecum.

Gallery

Perhaps the main design flaw has to do with headlight assemblies.  General Motors was a laggard when it came to blending headlights into front fenders,  GM transitioned slowly, model year by model year, and it wasn't until 1941 that headlights were firmly set into the fenders.

Headlight assemblies aside, LaSalles's profile is nicely shaped.  The rear fender, trunk, and passenger compartment greenhouse profiles make a good composition.  The front fender is of the "suitcase" variety, but needed due to the door's front cutline and hinging.

The backlight window is small by today's standards, but was normal for 1940.

Perhaps the most striking thing is the lack of chrome ornamentation.  Not even a chrome strip below the belt line running from near the car's front to abaft of the C-pillar (common in those days, and found on 1940 LaSalle 50 series cars).  There are thin chrome strips between the fenders at the bottom of the body and on the window frames.  The most noteworthy chromed items aside from hubcaps are the three air vents below the hood cutline.

The body abaft of the cowling has a rounded appearance, whereas forward of that point it's more angular due to the narrow hood.  That had to do with LaSalle brand identification.

Brand identification is found primarily on the front end.  The narrow, vertical grille had been a LaSalle feature starting in the 1934 model year.  The 12 thin, vertical air intakes flanking the grille were LaSalle details initiated in 1939, yet their image is so strong that it cries out "LaSalle!" to this day.