By its final years this LaSalle had lost its own identity entirely, built essentially identical to the Cadillac Series 61 right before GM killed the brand.
Lead trim: LaSalle 322 cu in L-head V8
LaSalle LaSalle Series 39-50 / 40-50 / 40-521939–1941
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a LaSalle LaSalle Series 39-50 / 40-50 / 40-52 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactBy its final years this LaSalle had lost its own identity entirely, built essentially identical to the Cadillac Series 61 right before GM killed the brand.
In its final years the LaSalle Series 39-50 was once again more Cadillac-like in its appearance and details and essentially identical to the Cadillac Series 61: the narrow radiator grille opening was retained and flanked by additional side grille work to aid heat dissipation, with headlights again attached to the radiator shell, and LaSalle added a sunroof marketed as the "Sunshine Turret Top". Sales climbed from 15,501 in 1938 to 23,028 in 1939. The final 1940 LaSalles were introduced in October 1939 with a full array of semi-custom body styles as in its first year, including a convertible sedan, with a smooth-flowing Harley Earl redesign of a thin radiator flanked by a series of thin chrome slots; in its final year sales reached the second-highest level ever at 24,133. In addition to the Series 40-50 there was the lower, wider Series 40-52 Special using GM's new "Torpedo"-style body. Power was the 322 cu in (5.3 L) L-head V8 with a 3-speed synchromesh manual, on a 120 in or 123 in wheelbase. By the time the decision to drop LaSalle was made, three wood-and-metal mockups had been made for potential 1941 LaSalles (one became the Series 62, another the Series 61, a third the Cadillac Series 63); the medium-priced Packard One-Twenty had consistently outsold the LaSalle by an average of 72 percent over 1935–40, and Cadillac folded the LaSalle into the more prestigious Cadillac marque. The page gives no horsepower rating.
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Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle 322 cu in L-head V8 | 1939–1940 | 5.3 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
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Photographs
By its final years this LaSalle had lost its own identity entirely, built essentially identical to the Cadillac Series 61 right before GM killed the brand.
Despite being GM's Depression-era budget-luxury line, the LaSalle paced the Indy 500 twice — in 1934 and again in 1937.
In 1927 a LaSalle ran 952 miles around a track averaging 95.2 mph with only seven minutes total spent on pit stops — nearly matching that year’s Indy 500 winning pace.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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