For some background, I wrote "General Motors' Companion Cars (4): Cadillac and LaSalle" here. The original LaSalle grille along with other styling aspects is mentioned in "Hispano-Suiza and the 1927 LaSalle" here. That grille design theme was continued through 1932: eight model years. The only unique grille was 1933's; I posted "1933 LaSalle Walkaround" here.
The 1934-1940 grille theme lasted for seven years, but might have lasted eight, had the brand not been discontinued. That theme is the one most people think of with respect to LaSalle.
The original LaSalle grille design.
Several model years later, the grille frame seems unchanged.
The transitional design. It's wider than the 1934-1940 versions, but the grille bar theme was carried over to the redesigned 1934 cars.
The 1934 frontal design was iconic. Besides the grille, fender chevrons continued for two more years, and vertical marks and variations on the catwalks are found most future model years.
Little change from '34 aside from the more substantial (but less interesting) bumper.
Similar grille, but more horizontal bars.
LaSalles got new bodies and Cadillac V-8 motors. The grille bars appear to be a mesh with slight horizontal dominance.
The same theme, but wider.
The grille was drastically narrowed for '39, the thin bars horizontal. The vertical catwalk chrome strips cover a lower air intake opening -- a functional use for what had been brand identification decoration.
This is a Model 52 LaSalle on a new body design. (Model 50s on the previous body continued in production for '40, but its front end was essentially what we see here.) This frontal design, along with the 1934 version are what come to my mind when I think "LaSalle."
A more "squared-off" theme. Had LaSalle continued into 1942, I think there was a good chance the vertical grille element would have disappeared. That's because the American industry standard at that point was bold, horizontal grilles.
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