1940 Lasalle Series 52 Special Convertible Coupe

The brainchild of legendary General Motors President Alfred P. Sloan, the LaSalle was assigned to fill the gap between the flagship Cadillac and lower-priced Buick, but its effect on the automotive industry reverberated through its first decade as the first car designed not by an engineer, but by a stylist, in this case another automotive legend, Harley J. Earl. Just eight years after the first Earl-designed LaSalle's 1927 introduction, however, sales had decreased to the point that GM's Executive Committee voted to replace LaSalle's position in the GM ladder with a “Junior” Cadillac, but a last-minute presentation by Earl of a new, bolder design earned a reprieve.

Styled under Earl's auspices by GM Staff Designer Jules Agramonte, the 1934 LaSalle Eight was a stunning departure from the norm that Agramonte, subsequently appointed head of the LaSalle section, skillfully guided through an evolutionary process into the 1940 Series 52 Special model line, comprising four body styles. This was the marque's swansong, but it was also a high point in LaSalle's 14-year history, most notably in the form of this lovely “torpedo-bodied” 1940 LaSalle Series 52 Special Convertible Coupe from the Don Williams Estate Collection.

In signature Earl fashion, the Series 52 featured clean, gently rounded lines, spacious interiors and larger windows. The LaSalle's trademark narrow grille remained a styling triumph, beautifully flanked by vertical accents in the lower “catwalk” areas, but while bullet headlights were still featured on Cadillacs, the 52 Special's sealed-beam units were smoothly integrated into the front fenders. Mechanically, the Series 52 Special continued with the Cadillac/Oldsmobile-derived 322/130 HP L-head V-8 engine with Carter 2-barrel carburetion, a 3-speed manual transmission and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes.